Just a Practical Problem
by That Engineer
Summary: Settling into a new home can be difficult for some, and Kor's situation isn't any different. Even though he has friends he can count on now, strange adventures lie ahead for the engineer. Set in the Archieverse. First story written on this site. Prequel to Waves of Change. Rated T for language.
1. Humble' Beginnings

**A/N: I wrote a story on a forum before but never thought to upload it. The basis of it came from an RP I had with a friend of mine, in which my own OC was born from it. Then I got the idea what would happen if he were to end up in Sonic's world, and given his extensive background, it would make for some interesting plot. Originally, I planned to make a prequel to this story, but turns out I ain't ready to make a TF2/Sonic crossover, and I don't think I'd enjoy writing it. So, this story is the very first for a line of others to follow, and maybe some 'what if' stories thrown in. **

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my own OC. Also Gray Mann and some weapon references belong to Valve as there's breif mention of them.**

**-Back Story-**

Some months ago, Mobius actually saw a hint of peace. Eggman had been thwarted once more, or should I say his so-called 'son' A.D.A.M. Of course, the doctor never had an actual blood-related offspring, but he considered his newly developed A.I. as one. Built specifically to keep his systems under key, Adam was everything the doctor could hope for: strong, reliable, and unrelenting in flushing out any intruders to its creator's networks. He was easily a match for the Freedom Fighter's own advanced A.I. Nicole. But as it would turn out, loyalty was not one of Adam's strong points.

Like Nicole, this A.I. had a simple thought process (obeying all of Eggman's orders) until it grew sentient enough to express feelings and later develop its own motives. Naturally, the doctor saw this as a problem (given what happened with E-102 Gamma) and decided to erase Adam from existence, but not before the A.I. could download its programming into microscopic robots known as nanites. It later used said nanites to infect and control a local known as Tommy Turtle. No one knew of Adam's true intentions, until it used both Shadow and Tails' super forms to rein in _every_ chaos emerald in the universe. Contrary to popular belief, there weren't just 7 emeralds of a different color. There were literally _thousands_ of these emeralds.

However, before Adam had a chance to use them, Sonic used his super form to put a stop to it while Tails and Shadow, deciding that the emeralds were too powerful for anyone to get their hands on, decided to seal them in a pocket dimension for safe keeping. No one would seeing them for months after this. As for Adam himself, well...let's just say Tommy took him to his grave.

Anyway, that's how the usual story goes, but here's where the story becomes a bit interesting. A few months after the whole 'Adam' fiasco, Eggman came in contact with someone from, surprisingly, a different dimension. Now, it wasn't from Blaze's world or some other Sonic-related universe, this one was entirely different. The man he spoke with introduced himself as Gray Mann, a billionaire from his world who had been using a strange substance known as Australium to power a life-extending machine attached to his spine. Like Eggman, Gray also had an army of robots at his disposal. Whether Gray was a billionaire now is under heavy debate, especially since his robots are literally fueled by _money_ of all things.

The meeting itself was really an accident. Gray was using his engineer robots to find somewhere to escape to as a group of mercenaries were closing in on him. Normally he wouldn't be too concerned, but months of fighting severely depleted his manpower and resources. Due to an, at the time, unknown space anomaly occurring, one of the modified teleporters reached out to Mobius. After sending a few robots to do some recon, Gray realized this was an entirely different world, and possibly his chance to cheat death. Gray wasted no time in establishing himself a base, (along with killing anyone who came near). The Freedom Fighters originally thought it was Eggman, but soon discovered it was someone else entirely.

Gray's own army proved to be a threat on its own, but when he decided to join forces with Eggman, the two became almost unstoppable. With the absence of the emeralds, many of their attempts ended unsuccessfully and the two mad men seemed on the edge of retaking Mobotropolis. Even Sonic was abit impressed that old Eggy stepped up his game. However, the situation wasn't entirely hopeless. Thanks to Rotor, Tails, and Nicole, they found out where Gray had originated from and decided to get help from people who knew him better and could hopefully turn the tide in this war. It was here, that the Freedom Fighters met the mercenaries of Builders League United and Reliable Excavation and Demolition. Naturally, all of the mercenaries were shell-shocked at seeing talking animals (Tavish even thought there was something in his scrumpy). They also weren't exactly willing to believe Gray had escaped to another planet and had simply fell off the grid.

However, there was one person willing to listen to them on the spot, RED team's engineer Kor T. Royce. Kor was a male of Caucasian decent and haled from what many assumed was the southern US due to his accent. Normally most engineers were in there 30s or 40s, yet Kor was still in his 20s, putting him not that much older than the Scouts and while he didn't have 11 PhDs as the other turret masters liked to boast about, he did have 2 in robotics and weapon systems. He was known as an innovator of sorts for the mercs. While he used the regular Mann Co. licensed sentries all engineers typically worked with, Kor decided to build something deadlier, which included flame-throwing turrets, rocket howitzers, and as a personal test on accuracy, sentries that could actually snipe their targets. Such devices proved crucial in some battles. He also had many other ideas that sounded awesome, but too impractical to be of any use.

After some debate the mercs decided to take the Freedom Fighter's advice and follow them. Unfortunately, the star posts used to access their world would only remain open for so long, so Kor had the mobians take a teleporter exit to the other side before it closed. Now, using a regular teleporter seemed fine when moving from one location to another, but if that location meant another universe, there was no telling what would happen during the transfer phase. As such, Kor was the first to use it. All seemed normal, but right before he was teleported the device shuttered and flickered as it tried registering the human to a different plane of existence. What happened next changed his life forever.

Kor made it to the other side just fine, except he wasn't a human anymore. Kor found himself turned into a mobian North American Red Fox, much to his horror. After freaking out for 7 minutes, and getting a good slap from Sally to knock a little sense into him, the human-turned-fox clamed down and looked over the teleporter for what went wrong. Turns out the main adaptor had adjusted itself upon someone stepping on it (they always do this when being put to use), but due to the huge difference in location it forced itself to adapt the user to its environment. Kor decided to fix this so no one else would end up like him, though the thought seemed funny for a moment. **(A/N: Pigeon Medic and Pootis Bird Heavy anyone?) **Embarrassingly, Kor had to find new clothing as being turned into an animal decreased his overall size.

Once this was fixed, everyone else was brought over along with their equipment. Antoine questioned whether it was a good idea enlisting the help of 18 heavily armed men, but as Sally noted, they didn't have much of a choice. In the battles that followed however, Antoine would become thankful they did bring the mercs in. It was very clear that each of the mercenaries fighting styles were odd or simply unbelievable, such as Soldiers rocket jumping, pyro's insane airblast, and occasionally Demo's penchant for decapitation, yet the heroes were glad they weren't on the receiving end of it. One of the biggest game changers was the Medic's combination of different ubercharges. Being invulnerable while spamming criticals everywhere? Fuck yes. It should come as no surprise that the mobians were shocked several times by the mercenaries' common display of reveling in destroying the robots, especially after a long kill streak.

Gray wasn't too worried about the mercenaries when they first showed up, as he believed his forces and Eggman's were more than enough to handle them. But in the weeks that followed he found the heroes were getting closer and closer to their base. He grew more and more desperate, to the point he turned on his own collegue and tried to run the show himself. It felt as if nothing could stop the heroes from end this threat once and for all. In a final decisive battle, hoped to keep just about everyone distracted while he would slip away, yet he didn't count on someone being thorough in wanting to put his ass in a grave.

Eggman slipped in the shadows and wasn't heard from after that. Sonic and the others knew that he was still out there, but they weren't too concerned about him. The doctor knows he lost and wouldn't think twice about wanting to take on Sonic, the Freedom Fighters, and several armed men at once. In the days that followed, the mercenaries of TF Industries returned to their own world, except for two. Klaus, RED's medic, was so interested in Mobius he decided to stick around to learn more about the anthropomorphic animals, though given his eccentrics, everyone was justified in being a little creeped out.

For Kor, the situation was even more obvious...

**-Present Day-**

It's been about a week since Gray Mann was finally killed. At times it felt as if the whole robot war he started would never end, but now they finally got him, well technically Kor killed him. The man had deserved everything that came to him: attempting to kill the former engineer and his fellow mercenaries whom he called family, threatening and killing thousands of innocents, he ended up causing Kor to lose one of his hands, and to top it all off, Gray betrayed Eggman just to spite everyone. Kor still smiles at the memory of ripping the basterd's Australium-powered life support system from his back.

Currently, the engineer was laying on the bed of his new home, staring at the robotic hand he made as a replacement. It was a standard issue Gunslinger licensed by Mann. Co., which allowed the user to build mini sentries. It was important that all engineers knew how to build one of their own in case they needed to replace a hand. Kor chuckled to himself as he remembered the tons of weapons Mann Co. gave to both RED and BLU to test, or in other words, kill each other with. They may not be mercenaries anymore, but he was still an engineer at heart.

Although Kor wished to be back on familiar grounds, he knew he couldn't live in his home world even if he wanted to. Apparently that whole 'turning from human to mobian' issue was permanent.

"Well, at least this world is full of adventure, with Sonic being around and Eggman still schemin." Kor mused to himself. "Plus, given the tons of tech this world has, I might be able to make more than just sentries." He smiled deviously at the thought.

Being able to make robots of destruction was still in his blood, despite having mellowed out of his destructive tendencies to a degree. He then decided to stroll over to Freedom HQ to see what everyone else was up to.

Since Kor decided to live the rest of his life on Mobius, and with some suggestion from Sonic and others, he was staying in Knothole where the Kingdom of Acorn had resided. To him, he supposed it made sense given that Sally was a princess and all, plus he didn't know anywhere else to go. Within a few days he had the chance to meet the trio of the main trio of the Chaotix, including their other members like Julie-Su, Mighty, Ray, Saffron, and even members of the royal family like Sally's brother Elias. They were a very nice bunch in his mind.

**-Freedom HQ-**

"You think he'll be estatic about what we'll tell him?" Tails questioned.

"Probably, but he doesn't talk as much as he used to. Almost reminds me of Shadow." Sonic said.

"He might be just thinking about some issues of his on Sugah Hog. 'Sides, movin' into new digs ain't exactly exciting to some." Bunnie said, though she wondered how he lost his hand since no one said anything about it, not even the other REDs or BLUs.

"Being zat he used to be a crazed merc fighting all ze time, I'm sure he's just getting used to ze peace." Antoine says in his distinct French accent.

"Regardless of that, I'm sure Kor will be happy to be a part of the Freedom Fighters. He even told me himself he thought it would be a fun adventure here." Sally points out.

Sonic chuckles. "I wonder what his definition of 'fun' is."

"Something I may not want to know, however I am amazed at the kind of weapons he made in his own time." Rotor mused. Kor dropped hints of a few other turrets he used back in the day besides his standard sentry, but didn't give much detail about it.

Then they hear chuckling from the stairs. "I'd be happy to tell you more about it Rotor. So what are you all doing down here?" Kor asks as he entered the base. He notices none of the Chaotix are around. "Annnnnd where are Knuckles and the Chaotix?"

"They're acting as body guards for Mina while she's on her world tour. Anyway come on down Kor, we need to speak with ya on something." Sonic says, laying his feet on the table.

"Um, ok." Kor takes a seat in a beanbag chair opposite of the others. "So what's up?"

"Well, we've been discussing this and, thanks to your invaluable efforts in stopping Gray Mann, we would like to appoint you as a member of the Freedom Fighters!" Sally exclaims.

Kor raises an eyebrow at this. "Really?"

"Of course. You might be a little nuts at times," Kor chuckles at that, "but we all think you'd be a valued team mate that can help topple Eggman." Tails comments with a smile.

"Plus, if you can handle them Gray bots, Eggman's drones won't be an issue for ya." Bunnie says with a tip of the hat.

Kor smiles at this. He had a feeling they would let him join, but he was unsure about this given the fact he can become a crazed gunman from time to time. Sonic, Tails, and Sally once saw him gun down 50 robots with his sentry gun, all while he was laughing like a crazed maniac.

"Well, y'all got yerselves a new teammate then, pardners. I'm sure this is gonna be a heck of a lot fun beating Egghead." The others chuckle in agreement.

Bunnie then grows curious as she stares at his hand. "Not to sound rude, but how did you lose yer hand?"

Kor rubs the back of his head of his flesh hand. "Well, that's abit of a story really. Oh and I can tell ya about some of my machine Rotor." Rotor smiles and pulls up a chair.

**A/N: And that's all she wrote, for now. Went back through this chapter recently and edited some stuff out. Realized I should've fleshed out the first chapter a bit more. Anyway please review.**

**Edit: Re-written a second time. This is my main first story. There won't be a prequel for this, so I edited it to be as such.**


	2. Meeting a New Face

**A/N: With Kor now officially a Freedom Fighter, time will tell if he adds some level of crazy to the heroes team. Whether or not it'll be a bad thing is another story.**

**Disclaimer: All character belong to Sega except my OC.**

"So you built these different kinds of, sentry guns was it?" "Yep."

"Ok, but, mind if I ask, how come none of us have seen any of them around your house?"

"Well, I kinda left a good number of them back on my home world, some were destroyed, and I didn't want to scare anyone with a turret standing on my lawn." "Valid point."

Kor and Rotor had been talking for about a good hour or so, trading technical achievements and ideas to each other.

Kor already told Bunnie that he lost his hand in a plane crash. His hand had been so charred it had to be removed. Bunnie said he could consider getting an upgrade, such as turning it into a laser cannon. Kor said he would consider it, and his talk with Rotor was helping him form a new project in his mind.

"Hey Rotor, I'm gonna go check out the rest of the HQ. We'll talk more later."

"Alright. I'll be in the lab if you need me." Rotor said before walking off to his destination.

As Kor traversed the HQ, he found the bedrooms and the kitchen. He made his way over to the lab when he heard Rotor and Sally discussing something, along with a voice from someone he hadn't heard before. Curiously, he poked his head through the door and saw them both talking with what he assumes is a Mobian lynx on a large computer screen. Rotor happens to look behind him and notices Kor in the doorway.

"Oh hey Kor, I see you managed to find the lab."

"Yeah, just walking about it all. Um, whatcha discussin'?"

"Going through some burst transmissions we intercepted from one of Eggman's bases. We're not sure if it's something serious." Sally said.

"Didn't think Eggman would be up to his own agenda so soon. But then again it has been a week..." Kor says while scratching his ear.

"Knowing Eggman it could be anything. I'll see if I can try to cut through the clutter to make out a readable message." Says the lynx on the screen.

"So whose the lady you guys are talking to?" Kor asked.

"Oh, forgot we hadn't met each other yet, my name is Nicole. I'm an advanced artificial intelligence."

Kor raised an eyebrow. He's seen tons of different A.I.'s before, but none have had an avatar or showed anything with human-like features. "Advanced A.I. huh? So how advanced are you?"

"Well, I can manipulate most machinery and computer systems as well as hack into almost any database. Eggman's usually don't seem to give me much issues in getting information." The lynx responded.

"Nicole has been a friend of ours for a long time and aided us on multiple occasions. If it weren't for her, some of the missions we had done in the past would have taken longer or not been possible to do." Sally chimed in.

"Ah I see. Welp, given that she's already showing signs of emotion she's got to be the most advanced A.I. I've ever met. My sentry's A.I is just basic." The engineer chuckled slightly.

Nicole smiled. "Why thank you. I take it you're enjoying your time as a new Freedom Fighter?"

"Well, it's only been an hour but yeah." Kor said, fidgetting with his robotic hand.

"So what was your sentry's A.I. like?" Nicole asks.

"Well, they were just programmed to shoot the enemy team using color coding, since both teams wore distinctive clothing, and basic targetting by scanning an area constantly. However at some point I figured out how to edit their targetting protocols, which came in handy when Gray killed my boss and we had to fight his army. Couldn't have them shooting the BLUs at that point." He chuckles at this, then goes into thought. "However, I have a new project in my head I want to start."

The others grow curious. "What kind of project? Is it something dangerous?..." Sally asks with a questionnable look in her eye.

"...Sort of. Look I'm not gonna go rogue on you guys, it's just something I can build and could be useful later on. However, I'm gonna need to work on it in secret so no one will know of it until it's finished." Kor stated.

"Well, I guess we can allow you to do that. You sure you won't need any help on it? We have plenty of resources." Rotor offered.

"Nah, I got it covered, mostly. Plus a large number of materials come from my home world. Also please don't let anyone else know about this. It's very sensitive right now." Kor pleaded. Last thing he wanted was unwanted attention.

"Hmm...alright. Good luck on whatever you're going to make." Says Rotor. Kor then takes his cue to leave the HQ.

After Kor leaves, Sally discusses the matter with the other two. "Nicole? Can you do a favor for me?"

"Sure." The holo-lynx replied.

"Can you keep an eye on Kor, just to make sure he doesn't end up blowing himself up or his invention falls into the wrong hands?" Sally asked.

"I can do that. I just need to find out where he'll make his project." Nicole says, then brings up the first issue. "I finished decrypting some of the transmissions. They just appear to be about fixing damage done to the base and increasing security, probably to keep Sonic out."

"Well that's solved at least." Rotor said before looking at Sally with a questionnable glance. "You don't trust Kor enough to handle things on his own do you?"

"It's not that I don't trust him, it's just that he can be a very dangerous person to deal with at times, especially when he has a large tool at his disposal. I just don't want him to go over his head and end up doing something he'll regret. He's also technically a rookie Freedom Fighter at this point." Sally said in thought.

"True, I just wonder what exactly he wants to build. Given how he talks about his sentries he wouldn't have an issue building one in plain site." Rotor points out.

"True, but we promised him we wouldn't speak of it to anyone. It'd be pretty bad if someone undesirable got word of it." Sally says before walking out of the lab.

**A/N: And end of the second chapter. What does Kor plan to make? Will it be something beneficial for all, or will it blow up in his face like a Demoman's sticky bomb? Tune in next chapter to find out.**** By the way if you want information about Kor's backstory you can check my profile. It will also be fleshed out alittle as this story goes on.**


	3. Have a Plan

**A/N: Time for chapter 3! Ahead of time there will be some mild swearing in this one. Anyway, let's see what that engineer has planned to make.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC. Soldier belongs to Valve.**

For the next 2 weeks, Kor resided himself to his house to draw up the plans for his project. A decent-sized mound of paper had formed in his trash can from discarded ideas. However, today he managed to draw up something he thought seemed good enough.

"_Well damn, took awhile but hopefully if everything goes as well as I hope in mah head, this beauty will give Eggman's forces a bad day"_. He chuckled to himself at that.

On the blueprint it had a robot that roughly resembled a flying insect with a large shell. The face has 2 pairs of eyes, the lower ones being the biggest along with a large mouth that had 2 pincers with it. The drawing also depicts it having 4 metallic wings that fold into its body when not in use, 6 legs in total of equal size, and having a long metallic tail. A circle is drawn around the tail with what looks to be a minigun or rotary cannon to be placed there. Two squares are drawn in the middle of the robot to show internal compartments to be used as weapon bays. Kor takes a moment to look over the design before rolling the blueprint up and heading to his basement. There, a teleporter from his old days as a merc sits running. He steps onto it and vanishes from the room.

Last week Kor had found a sizeable outpost in the middle of the forest that was a good distance away from Knothole. The old place looked to be used by Gray, given that he saw a dead robot based off the Engineer, his old job. He still chuckles at the fact he's using his dead foe's facility for his own purposes. It also took a hell of a time getting the electrical systems together, including shocking himself a couple times, but he managed to get the generator and computer systems up. After the red fox teleports in, he places the blueprint on the table.

"Hmm, I have an idea about what kind of missiles and rockets to use, but what about the gun..." He racks his brain about possible placements.

He did have the thought to use a copy of the Heavy's minigun, much like how he saw one with the giant robot versions of him, but he deduced it lacked the firepower needed to punch through heavily armored targets. Sure, with some upgrades, "Sasha" could punch through multiple enemies, but Eggman's robots were tough customers, much tougher than Gray's. When Eggman worked with that old man, Heavy had an issue punching through those things with his gun, even with the upgrades.

However, Kor then gets an idea. "Hmm, maybe Ol' Solly can get me a few favors."

He walks over to his other teleporter, which leads to his home world and teleports out. Some time ago, he managed to connect to a teleporter that was left standing in of the bases the mercs used, and this one led to the base known as Hydro. He exits out the teleporter and looks around the place. The base has shown its age due to lack of combat but thankfully the generator still runs.

He grabs a nearby phone and dials a number, then waits a couple seconds before hearing a familiar voice. "WHO IS THIS?! HOW DID YOU GET THIS NUMBER?! YOU BETTER BE A RIB MAN OR SOUP CAN SALEMAN OR I REACH THROUGH THIS PHONE AND SNAP YOUR NECK!"

Apparently, Soldier somehow managed to get into the army and is almost a general. Kor still wonders how he even got into it in the first place knowing how insane the man is, especially since he was denied by _every military branch _in the past, but then again his roommate was a magician for God's sake.

"Solly, ease up pardner. It's me." Kor said in amusement.

"Kor? Haven't heard from you in months, how's the whole fox journey treatin' you?" Soldier says with a chuckle.

"Alright I guess. Hey listen, think you can get me a some weapons from the army?" The engineer asked.

"Sure thing! If any weapon is good it's an American-made one! I would love to see the poor son of a bitch who meet the end of my-" Soldier ranted on before Kor cut him off.

"Yeah, before you go on ramblin' about that I need the best rotary cannon they have along with some good rockets and missiles." The engineer stated.

"Can do! I'll place the order and have them mailed to ya within the day! Speaking of which, did you kill the fat basterd on that other world yet?" Soldier asked.

"Nope, not yet at least." Kor chuckled.

"Well when you do kill him, you look him in the eyes and smash him with your boot! Then you send his fat communist carcass in a box to his-" Soldier ranted again before being interrupted.

"Ok first he's not even communist, and I'll be waiting at Hydro for the shipment." Kor sighed.

"Alright. Take care fox maggot!" Soldier said, hanging up.

After that, Kor shakes his head. "Guess some things never change." He smiles with a chuckle.

**-Back in Knothole-**

While Kor was busy getting his weapons, Nicole was monitoring some systems outside of Knothole in her database. Sally reported that Kor didn't appear to be in his house, so they figured he already left to work in privacy. However, being an advanced A.I. had its perks. She noticed that a computer system had been activated recently. The location was a couple miles away from Knothole, and then she realized it was an old outpost that had been used by Gray in the past. She quickly connects with her handheld computer, which was with Sally at the moment. Currently, Sally was trying to find her brother to discuss something with him.

"Sally, I need to talk with you about an important matter." Nicole said.

"Sure. What is it?" Sally asked.

"There's been a computer system reactivated at an outpost from our late enemy." The A.I. stated with concern.

"You have any idea who it is?" Sally inquired.

"No, but chances are it might be Eggman looking for old files he could use against us." Nicole said.

Sally ponders this. "Could be...however Kor hasn't been seen lately and knowing Gray was his enemy, it could be him as well. Think you can sneak into the system and see whose using the terminal?"

"Sure. With a system as old as that they wouldn't notice me intruding." The A.I. stated with confidence.

With that, Nicole unplugs herself from her handheld and homes in on the location of the terminal. Over the months, Nicole had been getting steadily stronger in being able to hack systems at a distance. She still preferred to be jacked in manually as it's easier and doesn't put much strain on her. Since the location was a couple miles it only gave a faint signal, but with some boosting she managed to enter the old system.

As she looks around throughout the terminal it doesn't appear that Eggman has accessed it. However, she comes across a few files that had been uploaded recently. She opens it and finds blueprints with designs on them. To her, it almost looks like an improved version of Eggman's badnik series of buzz bombers, yet she can tell it was drawn by someone else. As she studies it more, she hears a whirring sound in the room. Cautiously, she uses a webcam to see what it was. Her surprise turns into shock when she sees Kor stepping off a device while trying to push some heavy boxed-up machinery stacked on each other.

"Kor?!" She said, accidentally talking through the computer's speaker system.

"Nicole?!" In his surprise, he ends up pushing the boxes a little too fast and the one on top falls on him with a loud crash. "Ow..."

**A/N: Looks like Nicole stumbled upon something she wasn't supposed to see. Also in relation to the robot Kor will be working on, if you ever saw the movie Wreck-it Ralph it looks similar to a normal cy-bug, with obvious modifications to it. Anyway hope you all enjoyed this one. These chapters are steadily getting longer.**


	4. Making Agreements

**A/N: Here comes number 4. Also Gandai thank you for bringing some stuff to my attention. This story is a sequel to another, but I will write the prequel at a later date.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

"So how exactly did you find this place? I thought it was hidden well enough..."Kor said while leaning against a dispenser he built shortly after being partially crushed by a box. He winces a little as the healing beam slowly mends his back to health.

"I thought it might have been Eggman looking for old information from Gray to use against us. Thankfully it's not that, but are you alright? That box looks heavy..." Nicole said with a worried look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be right as rain after this old thing finishes healin' me. Ain't as strong as the doc's medigun but it still gets the job done." The fox taps the dispenser affectionately.

"So what kind of device is that? It doesn't look like any of the sentries you described." The A.I. asked out of curiosity.

"Well, this is a dispenser. It's purpose is to heal allies as well as constantly dispense ammo. Mainly useful so I don't have scrounge around for materials and ammo to maintain my stuff." Kor says, temporarily revisiting some memories.

"I see...but what exactly is this that would require such weapons?..." Nicole asks, pulling the blueprint on the computer screen.

Kor sighs at this. "Supposed to be a surprise...but it's a combat robot I'm building to help fight Eggman."

He looks back at the weapons he got from Soldier. "And lookin' at all this it's obvious I'm gonna have to redesign some stuff..."

"Like what?" Nicole questioned further.

"Well for one, this gun is a helluva lot bigger than I anticipated, so I'm gonna have to increase the size of the entire bot just to fit the drum in there, then I gotta recalibrate some stuff, develop a new software and tracking system...ugh, this damn thing's gonna take months to make." The engineer scratched his head in thought.

"What about all the sentries you've claimed to build? They didn't sound as challenging to make." The A.I. pointed out.

"Well yeah, cause I could just copy their software and give them different weapons to use, but this bot needs a whole new program to work with if it wants to be successful." Kor pointed out. While he wouldn't say it to her, he was getting annoyed a little with the constant questions.

Nicole thinks over this for a minute. While Kor is capable of making it himself, knowing Eggman he is likely to have a plan set in motion well before Kor could even hope to finish. Plus, it could help their newest Freedom Fighter become a great asset. "How about I help? I can help develop a new program for it as well as the tracking systems."

Kor shakes his head. "Nah, you don't have to. I have some ideas in mind."

Nicole crosses her arms. "But how long do you think it will take you to finish?" "Um...8 months?" Kor shrugged.

"That sounds way too long to develop something Kor, and Eggman could be ready to enact another plan of his well before then." She pointed out.

Kor stared at the A.I. for a minute before sighing in defeat. "True...alright Nicole you can help, but promise not to let anyone know you're helping me on this."

"Noted."

"And, I'll return the favor for ya when ya need it." Kor said with certainty.

Nicole smiles but shakes her head. "You don't have to Kor. It's my job to assist the Freedom Fighters in any way I can."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. Wouldn't be fair to you if you didn't help me after all of this." He smiled at her.

Nicole pauses for a moment, deep in thought. "Hmm...alright, there actually is something I could use help on. Have you ever heard of Nanite City?"

"Nope. Please do tell." Kor said, folding his arms.

**-Hours later: In Knothole-**

Sally looked thoughtfully out of her window, watching the sun set. Nicole had left a few hours ago and hadn't check back since. _"I hope Nicole is alright...it shouldn't be a problem for her to scout a location from an old computer to grab intel...what if it is Eggman there and he managed to capture her? Maybe I should organize a search and rescue team..."_

As if to quell her thoughts, Nicole reappears in her PDA. Instinctively, the chipmunk grabs it.

"Nicole! Are you alright?!" She asked frantically.

"Yes Sally, I'm fine. It turns out that location is being used by Kor to build his project in privacy. He also says not to let anyone else know about it." Nicole informed her.

Sally sighed on both accounts. "Anything else?"

"Um, nope that's it!" Nicole said with a cheesy smile.

Sally looks at her questioningly before dismissing it. "Well, at least that's resolved. However now I need to put together a scouting team."

"What's the issue?" Nicole asked.

"While you were away, me and Rotor had contact with Knuckles. They're doing ok but it seems Rouge stole the master emerald. She plans on selling it to the highest bidder, and with crooks like Mammoth Mogul and Ixis Naugus still out there, I don't want to think about what would happen if they get it first..." Sally said.

"I don't want to think about that either." Nicole shudders at the thought. "Who will you be taking?"

"Myself, Sonic, Bunnie, and Antoine should be able to handle it." The chipmunk said with a confident grin.

**-New Megaopolis-**

New Megaopolis, the Eggman Empire's capital city and Eggman's largest base. The big Egg himself was staring out a window in his office, looking over his city. He was mulling over how his last partnership hadn't gone well. Somehow, Gray managed to take control for himself and tried to wipe everyone out, but was put 6 feet under by that former RED engineer. Eggman chuckled to himself, as when Gray had been put down, he managed to merge what was left of the man's robots into his own ground forces, and with some upgrades they made a considerable threat. He also had a new plan to wipe out those ever so annoying Freedom Fighters.

Calmly, he walks over to the intercom on his desk and presses the talk button. "Snively, how is production of the Egg Fleet coming?"

"Production rating is a 110% sir. Estimates are that it should finish on time or ahead of schedule, and a certain project of yours has begun." Snively said over the comm. system.

"Excellent." Eggman's mouth grew into a huge smile. "Soon Sonic, you and your so-called pals will face the might of the Eggman empire. And this time, there will be nothing that can stop me!" He said before giving off his signature laugh.

**A/N: Went through this chapter again to do some editing. Found several errors since I kinda rushed to get this one out. Anyway, it looks like there are plans on both sides. How exactly will this turn out? Tune in next time to see for yourself. **


	5. Robots and Wedding Blues

**A/N: Time for chapter 5. Also for those who have read the comics you might get where the timeline is at this point. Also if anyone asks, no the drone can't copy the abilities of whatever it eats.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

Over the next 4 months, Kor and Nicole had made very good progess. Thanks to the advanced A.I., they had effectively cut down the time it would take to build the robot and integrate its systems. When making the software for it, Nicole had given the bot some personality so it wouldn't just be a mindless drone. Kor believed this would be very useful so it could think for itself and he wouldn't have to direct it everywhere. At the moment he was tweaking the robots main engine so it would be able to fly faster on maximum payloads. Nicole was in Knothole running diagnostics on something entirely different.

"Man, I should've asked for help alot sooner. You're almost ready for yer combat debut buddy." Kor said as he patted its head. In response the robot lifted up alittle in agreement.

"Easy now. Hold still so I don't mess this up." He said before continuing to reconnect the wires.

After he was done he bolted the opening shut. "There ya go. Now y'all should be able to fly faster without overheatin' that thing." The bot grunted in agreement.

"Now just gotta make sure yer interface is workin' properly." The robots eyes by default are yellow, but they change color when it switches views: Red for thermal, green for night vision, and for a newer mode that took a month to perfect, blue for electromagnetic view.

While the first 2 are self explanatory, the latter is for being able to see a 3D scan of the area in adverse conditions such as fog. It also still picks up metallic objects such as guns and vehicles while outlining non-metallic objects like trees and bushes. It can also see through buildings.

"_I sure owe Nicole alot for this, even though I'm already helpin' her with this Nanite City. She may be a computer but she's as much of a mobian as the rest of us."_ Kor thought to himself. Once confirming the robot can see through all interfaces, he glances at the clock.

"Shit, I'm gonna be late for that wedding. I'll be back in abit pardner." He said to his robot before taking a teleporter back to his house.

Aside from Kor's project becoming successful, things were taking shape around Knothole. It turns out that the mission to retreive the master emerald was actually a decoy set up by Rouge to lure out any big time villians, and Mammoth Mogul and Ixis Naugus took the bait. It ended up with the 2 of them along with Nack, Bean, and Bark arrested. Kor also learned that Antoine proposed to Bunnie around that time as well. He congradulated the 2 when he came back to Knothole frequently as to not arouse suspicion on his whereabouts.

While he was putting on a tuxedo, he heard a knock on his door.

"Hey Kor! You ready yet?" It was Sonic.

"Give me a minute!" He said while fixing his tie. "Always hated wearin' these..." Kor muttered to himself before opening the door. "Howdy Sonic, Tails."

"Hey, looking sharp today buddy!" Sonic greeted.

"Eh, I guess but in honesty I hate dressin' up like this." Kor groaned.

"Aw come on it's not that bad." Sonic chuckled.

"Says the Best Man, and plus you never wear a shirt every time I see you." Kor countered.

"Yeah. I'm not a fan of these either but we do it cause we're supposed to." Tails chimed in.

"So where's the groom at?" Kor asked.

"He's in his house getting cold feet." Sonic stated.

Kor and Tails chuckled at this. "Hah, I remember how that felt." Kor said. "You were married before Kor?" Tails asked.

"Yeaaah, but it didn't work out in the end. I'd rather not go into detail about it..." Kor said as they entered Antoine's house.

Once inside they found Vector and Charmy giving advice to the nervous coyote. He even had a glass of water in his hands to try to calm his nerves, yet it wasn't helping.

"Besides, you haven't fainted in public since...awhile ago! So you've got nothin' to worry about." Vector said.

"Yeah! Marriage may have its ups and downs, but I'm sure you two will be happy!" Charmy adds in.

"Heh, _Vector_ giving advice?" Sonic chuckled at this.

"Whether he wants it or not. Ready to be the best man?" Knuckles asked.

"I've _always_ been the best man." Sonic grins, then looks around. "Say, where's Espio?"

"He's on a mission. He said he'll be back in time before the ceremony." Knuckles stated.

"Ok, but alone?" Sonic asked with concern.

Knuckles shrugs. "You know Espio. He thinks he can do anything."

"Well he is a ninja after all. Heck, he's probably better than Rouge at spying." Kor said, earning a chuckle from Sonic and Knuckles. The fox quickly adds, "Don't tell her I said that though. Last thing I want is to get kicked in the face..." Sonic and Knuckles then start to laugh.

At the same time, Sally and her former nanny Rosie Woodchuck were helping the bride prepare, though unlike her fiancee she was wholeheartedly excited.

Currently Bunnie was looking at herself while wearing her wedding dress. "Wow Sally you sure know how to make a dress!"

"Isn't it ironic how when you came to us, you wanted to be my hair stylist?" Sally said with a chuckle.

"And I sure will, when I'm not smashing badniks or spendin' time with mah man." Bunnie smiled.

"I'm really happy for you Bunnie. Antoine's a good man." The chipmunk said to her best friend.

"I still thank the lucky stars I have him. We both lost so much, but at least now we have each other." Bunnie says while hugging Sally.

"And I'm proud of you both. You've both done so much to protect us for so long and have grown into lovely, competent young ladies!" Rosie adds.

"Thank you Rosie! And maybe Sal will follow my lead and marry soon too" Bunnie says with a knowing grin.

"Oh yes! Someone handsome and brave, and _blue_..._"_ Rosie teases.

"Oh no you 2 don't! I'm prefectly happy being single right now." Sally says with a grin.

"_Sure_ you are." Both Bunnie and Rosie say before all 3 begin to laugh.

**-New Megaopolis-**

In Eggman's greatest city, 3 badniks are seen patrolling around a section the city. What they didn't know was that a certain chameleon just walked right past them. Espio, while maintaining his invisibility, scales the wall of one of the main factories before making his way into an air shaft. His mission was to find out if Eggman had any plans up his sleeve, given that he's been quiet the last 4 months. As he infiltrates the building further, he accidentally bumps into what he assumes is a robot. Instinctively he readies 2 ninja stars, only to find that what he bumped into was actually the hand of a ready made battle suit.

"Battle Armor? What does Eggman have planned this time?..." Espio muttered to himself.

As he continues on, he reaches one of the main computer terminals. On the screen, it showcases the Egg Fleet's production rating of the various ships built, the status of the aforementioned battle armor, and what Eggman plans to do with it all. Worse yet, there was a schedule saying the attack is supposed to happen _tonight_. Espio's face pales. "Oh no...I've got to get back and warn everyone!" He takes off back the way he came.

However, despite all his training, in his panic he forgets to conceal himself, and in the process gets spotted by a patrolling flying badnik. "Intruder detected! Priority: Eliminate!" The robot stated before opening fire.

More badniks converge on Espio's location, firing lasers at him. Luckily, he manages to slip into the air shaft and make it outside. Problem is: more badniks were waiting for him! He manages to dodge a multitude of laser fire, even dispatching one badnik in the process. He sees the perimeter wall just 100 ft ahead of him. _"If I can make it over that wall, I can disappear and get back in time to warn the others..."_ He thought to himself. Unfortunately for Espio, badniks line the top of the wall, with more encircled around him.

With him trapped, Eggman makes his appearance. He's also wearing a hand from the battle suit. "So, snooping as usual I see? Obviously you aren't as clever as you think you are!" Eggman taunts the chameleon.

"I've seen your plans. I know what you're going to do, and it will never work! They'll see you coming, and they'll rescue me!" Espio shouted in defiance.

Eggman simply chuckles. "Ha! Obviously you didn't read the report clearly." He says before zapping Espio with the hand of the battle suit from earlier, appearing to have atomized him.

"They won't stand a chance!" Eggman says to himself before going to finish putting his plan into action.

**-Nanite City-**

Kor was currently below the city, working on some generators and installing some holo-matrices that would help Nicole maintain her holographic form all around the place. He arrived there a couple hours after the wedding. It went over well, and the newly weds were happily spending time alone at the moment.

"Got to hand it to Nicole. She sure knows a lot about interior decorating." He said with a chuckle before using a blowtorch to mend a piece of metal to a generator.

He was told the city was to resemble a place called Mobotropolis, an old city everyone used to live in before they had to relocate to Knothole. Apparently Mobotropolis had been taken over by Eggman years prior and then destroyed by a nuclear strike from a city called Station Square, a place run by humans.

After hearing about the nuke attack, Kor wasn't surprised the city was now a radiation minefield. For defensive measures, the Nanite City had a protective wall as well as a strong shield to stop attacks from damaging the city. However, while this seemed ok, Kor believed it wouldn't be enough, so he planned to install sentry batteries along the wall so at least the city could fend off attacks better. But, he needed to make sure these generators were working properly first. Plus, Eggman had abandoned the city long ago so he wouldn't attack it any time soon. He never realized how wrong he was.

"Kor! Kor are you down here?!" It was Nicole, and by the sound of her voice she seemed distressed about something.

"Yeah!" He turns the torch off as Nicole runs over to him. "What's wrong?"

"Knothole's under attack!" Nicole exclaimed.

Kor was shocked by the news. "What?! By who?!"

"It's Eggman! He's burning the entire village to the ground with a new air fleet he built! Everyone's being vaporized on the spot! It's complete chaos over there! It's-"

As Nicole began to spazz out in fear, Kor quickly grabbed her shoulders and shakes her alittle so she'd stop.

"Nicole calm down! Maybe there's something we can do to save what we can. Go back and try to help whoever you can, I'll be there soon." Kor told her.

Nicole nods before disappearing. After she does Kor quickly runs to his teleporter.

"_Dammit! I didn't think Eggman would attack this soon! And by the way Nicole described it none of us saw it coming..."_ Kor thought angrily.

After teleporting into his secret lab, his robot looks up, detecting it's creator's stress and grunts questioningly. "Alright buddy, I was hopin' to have you do a test run before attacking Eggman's forces but I guess _they'll_ be the test run..."

**A/N: And that's all she wrote. Initially I was wondering about whether or not to have Eggman's attack in the next chapter but decided to add it in anyway. Also I'm still wondering on what to name the new robot. If anyone's got an suggestions I'm open to them.**


	6. Retaliation

**A/N: It's time for chapter 6! With Knothole being razed to the ground and everyone dying let's see how the heroes will over come this.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

After doing some last minute preparations, Kor's robot offically began its mission. Outside, part of the ground opens up to allow the robot to ascend. Once it does, it speeds off towards Knothole; the former engineer rides on its head. Despite being a few miles from the village, he sees a sight he would never forget. If one were to enforce a scorched earth policy for Knothole, this scene would fit the bill. Everything as far as the eye could see was either destroyed or burning to the ground. Kor couldn't pick out what various buildings were due to all the rubble and fires. What he did notice was a ton of flying ships in the air, no doubt the fleet Nicole had mentioned earlier.

"Hell...Eggman sure wasn't playin' around this time..." He taps the bot's head. "Keep just above the trees, don't want 'em to spot us..."

The bot did as instructed. Kor then decides to direct the bot over to Freedom HQ. "I sure as hell hope that place is still standin'...also I hope Sonic and the others didn't get caught in this shitstorm..."

Meanwhile at the HQ, Amy and Knuckles manage to dig themselves out of the rubble just as Sonic and Tails arrive. Sonic looked like he'd been slammed by a truck and the driver tried to double tap.

Amy immediately starts barraging Sonic with questions. "Sonic! What happened to you?! Why is there so much smoke coming from Knothole?! What happened to our homes?!"

"Knothole's gone Amy...the Egg Fleet burned it to the ground..." Sonic said solemnly.

"Oh no! What about everyone else?!" Amy asked, fearful about the fates of everyone else.

Before Sonic could answer Amy's question they hear what sounds like helicopter blades. They all look up and see a large insect-like robot. They prepare for a possible attack, until they see Kor on its head.

He jumps off and runs to them. "Thank God y'all are still alive! I saw everythin' burning down on the way over..."

"Way to be late to the party Kor..."Sonic says with a bit of a glare. Kor just rubs the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah...well at least I didn't get atomized by Eggman..." Kor said with some relief.

"Actually," Sonic says, getting everyone's attention, "They aren't dead, they were captured. Eggman zapped them all into his Egg Grapes."

"Egg Grapes?" Knuckles asked.

"They're prison pods that turn life-force into fuel, or whatever. I was kinda busy being beaten up to catch all of Eggman's ranting."

"Well that would explain why you look like you got thrashed by a Heavy." Kor said. He pauses for a moment. "We're gonna need a plan. I know for one none of us are gonna take this lyin' down."

"I already have one. You guys can start fixing up the HQ. I'm going to to see what I can take from the lab and get our friends and families back." Sonic said, heading into the half-demolished building.

Everyone else begins to object to this.

"You can't go after them alone Sonic." Tails said.

However, Sonic remained stubborn. "You'll all be safer here. I'll get them back, don't worry."

"But you'll have to deal with the Egg Fleet _and_ his badnik army, not to mention his battle suit!" The kit suggested.

"Tails, I've got this..." Sonic said, growing irritated.

"Oh like you had Knothole a few minutes ago?! That _really_ helped a lot there! Or does your plan involve you getting your butt kicked again?!" Tails countered.

Both Sonic and Tails stare at each other for a minute before Kor intervenes. "Tails has a point Sonic. It'd be suicide to go in alone with the amount of arms Eggman has right now. Only way we can save everyone is with a well-coordinated plan."

Suddenly they hear Nicole speaking from her PDA, which was buried in the rubble nearby. "Well said Kor, and if anyone's interested, I have a plan."

**-New Megaopolis-**

Eggman and Snively enter a giant silo named 'Egg Vineyard'. With his latest plan having succeeded, the doctor couldn't help but gloat to his prisoners. Everyone is giving him a look ranging from disgust to a glare.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mobians of all ages! I would like to thank you for providing such an entertaining resistance for so very long. It's made running my global empire much more exciting and enjoyable! You Freedom Fighters have been very amusing, as well as very_ annoying_. You were always willing to give your lives for your cause, and I was always willing to take them!" He chuckles a bit. "You Chaotix knew that as well, making you all the more _stupid_ for aiding them. And as for the everyone else, you have all been wonderful pawns in this game of chess, but as they say, check mate! Oh ho ho ho ho!"

After composing himself, Eggman continues. "Now then, I'm going to demonstrate to you all just what these Egg Grapes can do. The process will be accellerated but not less potent." An evil grin forms on his face. "And just to make sure you're all petrified before the end..."

A claw reaches down and grabs the cell containing Charmy, bringing him up to Eggman and Snively's level. "Ah Charmy Bee. Haven't I ruined your life already? Destroyed your kingdom or something right?"

Charmy huffs. "Yes you have. But despite all that, I've fought for our planet no matter what you did! I will still fight for Mobius, and I'm not alone!" The other prisoners applaud Charmy for this.

"Brave _last_ words. Snively?" Eggman gestures to his nephew. "With pleasure sir." Snively says and activates the pod. It begins to drain Charmy's life force.

However, during Eggman's victory speech, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Kor, and Nicole were speeding toward the city on Kor's robot. Knuckles and Amy gasp in shock as they passed the ruined village, the fires having burned out by then. As they reach the city's outer wall, Kor's robot makes it's combat debut by opening fire on the random badniks around the area with its main gun. The robots are cut to pieces easily, and as they press further Knuckles and Amy clear a path. With the silo in sight, Kor orders the bot to ram right through the wall. They breach just after Snively activated Charmy's pod.

"Knock knock suckers!" Kor yells with a crazy grin on his face.

"Don't start the party without us Eggman! We...what's that light?" Sonic says, looking at the pod at the very top.

Knuckles gaps when he gets a clear look. "Charmy!"

"No! I can't be too late again!" Sonic yells.

"Just shut up and GET UP THERE!" Kor yells.

Nicole suddenly beeps in Tails' hand. "Nicole?" Tails asked.

"I'm reading an access port up tip. Plug me in! Hurry!" The A.I. stated. Tails nods before beginning his ascent.

"Everyone stick to the plan! Amy, Knuckles, Kor, bust everyone out!" Tails shouts.

At those words, the 3 begin to smash the pods open: Amy and Knuckles using their sheer strength while Kor uses his robotic hand. However, he grimaces a bit as the constant abuse on the hand is damaging it. _"__Damn, anymore and this thing'll fall apart..."_ He then switches to his wrench, which helps do the job just fine. Kor's robot continues to hover outside to prevent any reinforcements from interfering. At the top of the silo, Eggman is shocked to see Sonic.

"But how?! You're supposed to be beaten! Your spirit broken!" Eggman bemused.

"Shows how smart you are." Sonic says before breaking open Charmy's pod.

The young bee appears to be weak and on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness, causing Sonic to glare Eggman. "I'm going to make sure Charmy's ok. You get that much of a head start Eggman..."

At this Eggman and Snively make a run for it. "You said you caught them all! You missed 4!" Eggman yells at his lackey.

"4 out of how many hundred?!" Snively yells indignantly.

"Oh shut up and run!" Eggman countered.

Tails makes it up to the command console, ripping off the cover and plugs Nicole in. "How does it look?" Tails asks.

"Eggman hasn't put up a defensive system yet. I'll need only a minute."

Down below, Dr. Quack is checking on Charmy's condition. "Will he be ok?" Saffron askes, a worried look in her eyes.

"I don't have my tools with me, but his condition is stable. Sonic got to him just in time." The doctor stated.

Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief. Then Sally gets a good look at Sonic, who is still aching from his battle with Eggman. "You ok Sonic?"

"Hanging in there Sal." Sonic says, giving a small smirk.

"Good, cause now we have to move. Everyone, let's go!" Sally commanded. Everyone then starts piling out of the opening Kor's robot made.

Tails hears Sally's command. "Nicole, we have to go."

"That's fine. I've done all I can from here, I'll finish preparations when we get home." Nicole said.

Tails becomes confused at this, given that their home was just destroyed. "Wait, home?"

"Sorry Tails but there's no time to explain. Just stay with the group." The A.I. told him.

"Alright. Hope this plan works..." Tails says before leaving the silo.

With everyone leaving, and as part of the plan, Kor tells his robot to leave the city and head for a certain set of coordinates. He watches it leave before asking, "You sure we'll be fine without it Nicole?"

"Don't worry. Hopefully if everything goes as planned we'll see it land when we get there." Nicole says assuringly.

While everyone's making a run for it, Sally keeps asking Sonic if he was sure their plan would work. He only respondes that Nicole came up with it. As they continue through the city, everyone stops and pales as they see Eggman in the same battle suit he used to beat Sonic.

"W-was this part of the plan?" Sally asks.

"Believe it or not." Sonic says with a grin.

"I told you, I'm done playing games with you Sonic. Now get back in those Egg Grapes!" Eggman said before beginning to capture everyone via teleportation, or so it seems.

With most of everyone teleported Sonic, Sally, and a few other mobians end up cornered in an alley way. However, during Eggman's rampage Snively notices something was wrong. "Um, sir?"

"Not now Snively. I have the rest trapped!" Eggman yelled.

"But sir! The teleporting beam is-" Snively begins before being cut off.

"It's working fine! Now shut up and let me savor this moment!" Eggman yelled again before cutting comms with him.

"Sonic, can you cut through this wall? Maybe to a way out?" Sally asks.

"Probably, but not this time." Sonic says with a smile.

Sally looks at him like he's lost his mind. "And why exactly?!"

"Can't explain right now. Don't want Eggman to overhear and ruin the surprise." Sonic says with a chuckle. "Sonic-!" Was all Sally could say before she got zapped.

"Well, this is a first for you Sonic. Two colossal failues in one day! Won't you put up a fight for old time's sake?" Eggman chuckled.

"And give you the pleasure? Not likely." Sonic says with arms crossed.

"Fine then. Join your friends in oblivion!" Eggman says before zapping him.

"See ya on the flip side _loser_." Sonic smirked, giving him a thumbs up before disappearing.

Eggman jumps with glee. "Yes! I've finally won! Don't start the Egg Grapes until I'm there Snively!" He said as he opened the coms. again.

"But sir! I've been trying to tell you! There's no one in the Reserve Egg Grapes! The teleportation frequency was tampered with!" Snively yelled.

Eggman then stands there, dumbfounded. He couldn't believe he fell for such an obvious ploy. After snapping out of his shock, he yells into the mic. "I'm remote launching the Egg Fleet now! Track that frequency and tell me where they are!"

"I've already got it sir!" Snively informed him. "Well?! Where are they?!" Eggman said.

"They've been sent to...the _Nanite City_?!" Snively said, shock and confusion on his face.

**Engineer: In hindsight, and I have the comic, if Eggman was really serious about winning he would've killed Sonic when he had the chance.  
Eddy: What? And ruin the plot?  
****Engineer: True.**

**A/N: And I hope y'all enjoy readin' this part. Boy this one had several mis-spellings, good thing I'm re-editting this stuff.**


	7. Settling into a New Home

**A/N: Time for part 7! Haven't been getting any reviews lately but thanks for reading it anyways. So, the heroes arrive at the Nanite City, where they get a huge surprise in store for them (minus the two who built it). Let's see how they handle it.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

When the rest of the mobians arrived at the city, they greeted by a great surprise. The Nanite City had been reshaped to resemble Mobotropolis long before it had succumbed to being an uninhabitable wasteland. Everything had been designed down to the last brick it seems, even a clone of the infamous Lake of Rings that had long dried out had been replenished. And to top it all off,

"Look Father! Castle Acorn! As it was in the days of our long lost city!" Elias proclaimed with joy. Even his stoic father was starting to shed tears of joy.

"That was what we had intended your highness." At the sound of the voice, everyone turned and was greeted by a great surprise.

There before them stood Nicole in her very life-like holographic form. She resembled a mobian lynx with brown fur, having small black streaks on her face, and she was wearing a purple striped toga. It was a form the other Freedom Fighters had not seen since the loss of the original Mobotropolis.

"This was something we've been perparing for quite awhile now. Dr. Eggman's efforts forced us to reveal this before we were finished, but anyway...welcome to New Mobotropolis! I will be your hostess Nicole, and your host here is Kor." Nicole said with a bow.

"Well, technically you did most of the work Nickki, I just helped." Kor chuckled, tapping his damaged robotic hand with his wrench in an effort to repair it. By now sparks were starting to fly from it. Nicole giggled at her nickname.

Sally, estatic to see her friend in her holo-form again, ran up and hugged her. "I didn't think you could maintain that form!" She said with a smile.

While Nicole could project a holographic form of herself from her PDA, it put too much strain on her systems and she would tire out easily. "I couldn't until me and Kor had made something robust enough to maintain me. We built enough holographic matrices to give me full use of the city."

"Good to have you back again Nicole." Sonic says with a smile.

Not a second too soon the other Freedom Fighters start to barrage her with questions. "Does the Lake of Rings really work?" "How do you have the power to support a physical form?" "Is it just like the old Mobotropolis?" "What are our defenses here?"

Kor chuckled at this. "Settle down guys, we'll answer everything in time."

"You've done a great deal for us you two. And all of you as well. Without you guys, none of us would've made it to see Nicole and Kor's beautiful city." Sally said genuinely.

"Hah, yer startin to make me blush abit Sally." Kor said, rubbing his head with his flesh hand.

"Don't congradulate us yet princess. It didn't take Eggman long to figure out what we did..." As Nicole said this, everyone looks up and see the Egg Fleet approaching.

Kor sighed. "I really wish I built them sentry batteries right now..."

Not only do they have to deal with the Egg Fleet, but among those rescued were Mammoth Mogul, Ixis Naugus, Bean, Bark, and Nack. However, Nicole had a contingency plan for them. While Mogul was ranting about making everyone submit to his will, Nicole teleported all 5 of them to specialized holding cells in the new prison.

"Oh for Chaos' sake! How many times am I going to get thrown in a damn cell by those fucking Freedom Fighters?! I can't stand the indignity of it all!" Nack swore out loud.

Back outside...

"Teleporting Mogul in mid-rant. Nice one Nicole." Sonic says with a chuckle.

"I _am _the most advanced A.I. there is after all." Nicole boasts.

"Can't argue with that." Sally says.

Seconds later, gunfire from the Egg Fleet hits the shield, causing Nicole's form to dissipate a bit. "Nicole!" Sally exclaimed, worried about her best friend.

"Don't worry Sally, I'm fine. I just have to re-route power that would support this form to the shields. Eggman isn't holding back with this barrage." Nicole stated calmly.

"I understand...but it's not fair! You've given us so much, and you can't even keep your body for long!" Sally said.

"Only until I can spare the energy, I will always be around." Nicole said before disappearing completely.

"Don't fret Sally. Once we get rid of that fatass up there she'll be back." Kor said, then looks at his hand. "...Maybe I should've told Nicole I was ready to upgrade my hand before she left..." Sally looks at him with a glare. "...Not the best time for that?"

Thankfully Sonic gets her attention. "What now Sal? I've filled my plan-making quota for the year."

"I trust that Nicole will keep us safe for a good while. We're too rattled from the attack to do much right now." The princess replied.

"_If_ we could do much of anything right now." Elias adds. He then directs his attention to the other citizens. "Nicole and Kor took the time to build this city for us. Everyone should go out and find their new homes. Try to relax, keep your loved ones close to you, and be thankful we have them again." He finished, while at the end gesturing to his wife and child. He then turns to Sonic. "You should get some medical attention Sonic."

"Aw come on..." The hedgehog groaned.

"That's a double-order mister." Sally adds.

Sonic sighs in defeat. "Fine..." He walks off to find Dr. Quack. "Geez they're more relentless than Eggman's barrage..." He muttered to himself.

Throughout next hour, the Egg Fleet hadn't let up on the shield. "Just because I got roughed up a bit doesn't mean I need an special treatment..." Sonic kept talking to himself.

"Since when _didn't_ you get an special treatment?" A voice said.

Sonic turns to the voice and sees Rotor lying on a carriable stretcher with medical bandages wrapped around his midsection.

Sonic gasps and runs over. "Rotor! Are you ok?!"

"I'm fine. That's what I get for catching a couple hundred pounds of rock with my back, but Dr. Quack says I should be fine after some therapy." Rotor assursd him.

"I'm sorry dude...I should've been fast enough..." Sonic said, guilt showing on his face.

"No worries Sonic. Besides, I got to play the action hero for once." The walrus chuckled, but then casts a worried glance to the side. "It's Charmy I'm concerned about..."

After being in the life-drain process in those few seconds, Charmy appears to have had his brainwaves scattered. He can't think straight, he's showing signs of amnesia, and he constantly has this goofy look on his face. However, Saffron managed to get him to remember her name at least. Currently, Charmy was being given a full diagnostic by Dr. Quack.

"Is that a good sign doc?" Sonic asks.

"We won't know the extent of his memory loss until he's had some time to recover. For now though, he seems better than I could've hoped." The duck with Charmy and other patients was starting to give him a headache. However, he was still good enough to work on Sonic. "Now let me take look at you, although I'm not too concerned about you Sonic."

"I'm touched." Sonic said, tapping his foot.

"Given how hardy you are, along with the magic ring energy you have clinging to you, you're the safest out of all of us here. Plus your eye is almost fully healed." Once he finishes, Dr. Quack packs his stuff. "Well, you were my last patient Sonic. If you excuse me I need to spend time with my family."

"Thanks doc, I'll make sure ya do." Sonic says, giving the doctor a thumbs up.

**-Below New Mobotropolis-**

While everyone else was spending time with their families, Kor was in one of the city's main control rooms monitoring the stress level of the shields from the Egg Fleet's attacks. So far they seem to be holding up well.

"How long do you think they'll keep pecking away at the shield Nicole?" The engineer asked.

"Until they finally break through it seems. I anticipated they'd try to do this." The A.I. replied.

Kor leaned back in his chair. "You know, back in my days the sound of gunfire would be music to my ears. However listening to this noise for hours may start to drive the folks insane."

"And how exactly would this be music to you? If I don't keep the shields up our city will perish." Nicole said sternly.

"It just reminds me of when I just sit around and let my sentry do its business, that being killing whatever was in site. Speaking of which, I wanted to built some sentry batteries to fend off attackers but didn't have time to make them due to Eggman attacking." Kor told her.

"I see. We'll see to that after the fleet is dealt with. Also I'll see what I can do for your hand." Nicole responded, taking note of the fox's damaged hand.

"Alrighty then." Kor said. As he monitors the readings, he sees that something is hitting the shield close to the ground with a stronger attack force. "Nicole...you seein' this?"

"Yeah...it's Eggman in his battle armor." The A.I. informed him.

"Welp, I'm going topside." The red fox says, getting up from his seat.

"But Kor, your hand..." Nicole began with concern.

"I won't do much fightin, just gonna watch. I think Sonic has a plan for him this time." He said as goes to an elevator.

**-Outside-**

Indeed, Eggman was attacking the shield with melee attacks, but he wasn't doing any better than his ships. Not only that, he was still angry about being tricked by the heroes. "Come out and face me! You stole that city from me so I have rightful ownership of it! Stop hiding behind your stupid shield and fight me! I conquered and destroyed your first city! I toyed with you as you built your little forest getaway, then burned _that_ to the ground, and I've terrorized you for all of your pitiful lives! You will not rob me of my final victory! I won't allow it!"

"You done enjoying your tantrum or do you plan on shooting something other than the shield?" Sonic smirks as he exits the city via a door.

Eggman becomes elated to see his long time archenemy. "Oh this is grand! I knew you wouldn't disappoint me rodent, but you were foolish enough to face me alone! Did I beat you too hard and knock the memory of our last battle from your head? This armor was made specifically to out-perform you at every level! It is impossible for you to beat me!"

Sonic's smirk only grows. "Yeah, I figured as much. Which means you got nothing against these guys!"

At those words, the other Freedom Fighters and Chaotix attack. Eggman is easily being overwhelmed. For something that was designed against Sonic, it wasn't built to stand up to attacks from the other heroes, especially when being attacked all at once.

To make his situation worse, a familiar sound cuts through the air. Above, Kor's robot, which had taken awhile to reach the city, finally arrives. Kor smirks at this, and simply points at Eggman. "Yer about to have a real bad day Eggman."

At the same time, Bunnie charges up her arm cannon. "Yah shouldn't have riled us Eggman. On the other _hand..._I 've been savin' just fer ya!"

The other heroes quickly move away as Bunnie and the flying drone fire at the dictator. The combination of both attacks completely obliterates the top portion of the suit, leaving a very surprised Eggman and the bottom portion.

"Heavy hitter are done Sal." Bunnie says, blowing out the smoke from her cannon.

"Second line, move in!" Sally commands.

The less stronger heroes attack the bottom portion of the suit, all the while Sonic starts giving Eggman a banter similar to what he gave him during their last fight. "For all your smarts doc, you totally miscalculated us. Did you really think we'd just roll over and give up? Also did you forget that I wasn't the _only _hero on Mobius? I can handle anything you dish out, but on the rare occasion that I can't, I can count on my friends to back me up!"

The last leg of the battle suit is knocked off, leaving only a small pod floating in the air with Eggman sitting in it.

"Face it Eggy, you don't have a leg to stand on!" Sonic taunted.

"Augh! Shut up!" Eggman said defiantly.

"You said this was all just a game to you..." Sonic says before spindashing the last portion of the battle suit, destroying it completely.

"Nooooooooo!" Eggman yells before hitting the ground.

"And we've chosen to continue. Game on Eggman." Sonic smiles, standing over his beaten foe.

"You're trespassing on royal grounds. As princess, I order you to call off your forces and retreat back to your city..." Sally said with a glare.

"You won't get the last laugh here missy! Egg Fleet! FIRE!" Eggman commanded.

At those words, the Egg Fleet sends a ton of missiles at the exposed heroes, even Eggman himself. Luckily however, part of the wall protecting the city stretches out and shields everyone at the last second.

Nicole then appears from a holographic transmitter. "My friends are showing you more mercy than you deserve doctor...I _highly _recommend you retreat."

To enforce her words, Kor's drone, which had dodged the incoming fire, points at Eggman with its gun spun.

At that moment, a flying badnik swoops in and Eggman jumps onto it. "You'll regret this you miserable vermin! I was just toying with you before but now it's _war_! I _will_ destroy all of you!" He yells as he flys Egg Fleet also retreats back to New Megaopolis.

"Gotta hand it to him. Man knows how to make an exit." Sonic says.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know _when_ to make it." Sally adds.

"So, new 'do for the occasion?" Sonic asked, noticing Sally's hair was different. Originally it reached down to her mid-back but now it was neatly fixed on her head.

"Just a little something symbolic. It shows I've got my mind and heart back on track." Sally smirked.

"Hah, I've never known you to be so girly Sal." Sonic teases.

"Don't ruin the moment blue." Sally lightly punched his arm.

"Alright alright. Good to be back home again." Sonic finishes.

"Hey Kor?" Tails asks. "Yeah?" The older fox responded.

"I've been meaning to ask you, what exactly is that?" Tails said, pointing at the robot.

"Ah, I'll tell everyone once we get to the airfield. Hey Nicole, can you open the shield to let our new friend in?" Kor asked.

"Sure, I'll just register its ID into the system so it can pass through." Nicole stated.

After a minute and approval from Nicole, the bot passes through the shield and heads for the newly built military base located in the northern sector of the city.

"If everyone follow me please, there's somethin' I need to show y'all." Kor tells them.

A few minutes later and with everyone's attention, the fox gestures to his bot. "While I was also helping Nicole build this city, she was helping me design and build a combat robot that can give Eggman's forces a run for their money. It was built to withstand punishment and dish it back, and yes, this was why I wasn't seen all that often. I wanted it to be a surprise but it had make its first combat mission breaking all you guys out, and so far, I'm proud to say it worked wonderfully. Still haven't thought of a name yet though..." Kor finished, scratching his head, thinking for names.

"Gotta say Kor, that's a mean machine you got there." Sonic says.

"Iz it going to be one of the defenzes to our city?" Antoine asks.

"Well, was planning on it. It could conduct patrols now and then. I also planned to install defenses on parts of the wall to better fend off attackers." Kor told them.

"What did you have in mind?" Sally asks.

"Sentries." Kor chuckles, then thinks for a moment. "Hmm...I think I got a name for it." He turned to his bot, "From now on, you're military name will be K-1 Armored Gunship, but I'll call ya Killer Hornet since it sounds cute." The newly named Gunship grunted in approval.

"You have any other ideas on making robots Kor?" Sally asked.

"Not at the moment, but when I do..." He chuckles, "They'll probably be just as successful as this flying fortress behind me."

**A/N: And that's the end of that. With Eggman dealt with, the heroes have a new home to settle in. However, good things never last.**


	8. More Troubles Lie Ahead

**A/N: It's time for Chapter 8! Please excuse the delay, had some stuff to take care of the last few days.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

**-A week later-**

"You know guys, this place is really reminding me of the old days at home." Kor said with a smile.

"Which would be?.." Tails asks with Rotor looking questioningly as well.

"Oh you know, getting into the fight of our lives like every day it seems." The engineer noted.

Rotor shrugs. "Well, when you have to deal with someone like Robotnik for years, you kinda get used to it."

"I mean, we had to deal with Knuckles being Enerjerk and Mogul got out of prison recently." Kor said.

"Trust us Kor. You'll see _alot_ of random things getting thrown at us." Tails said, which Kor chuckled in agreement.

"Oh, and how's your new hand holding up?" Rotor asked.

"Alot better than my other one that's for sure. I owe you and Nicole one Rotor." Kor said, flexing the fingers his newest accomodation.

"Heh, it was nothing buddy." The walrus replied.

Kor's new robotic hand was more robust than his last one. It was silver colored like most typical robotics and was comprised of some nanites Nicole used to help make it, which meant it could endure a good amount of abuse. Also, at Kor's request, the hand could open up and turn into a tri-barreled laser. The main downside was it could only fire for a good minute before the hand's core needed to recharge for 2 minutes. They finally had time to make it after recent events.

The last few of days were pretty hectic. First, Knuckles had been manipulated into becoming a demigod known as Enerjak and tried to rid the world of technology, but thankfully this was stopped when Sonic accessed his Super Form, and at the cost of Knuckle's father sacrificing himself to break a hex sealed on the master emerald. The second issue was that Mammoth Mogul used Tails, Mina, and Mighty to break out of prison. Afterwards, the old mammoth set up a now very popular casino in the Casino Night Zone where he planned to beat Sonic by simply _out-living_ him.

The good news however, was that after Eggman had captured Enerjak to use him as a giant battery, the demigod broke free and destroyed most of Eggman's forces. His _entire_ Egg Fleet was downed and 90% of his badnik horde was destroyed. Unfortunately, the crazed dictator gained some followers in the form of a group of echidnas known as the Dark Legion. From what the Freedom Fighters heard, the doctor promised to restore their cybernetics, which were taken away when Knuckles was Enerjak. Fortunately, they weren't that much of a threat.

**-New Megaopolis, or what's left of it-**

Most of the city was in ruin after Enerjak's rampage, and with Eggman's forces dwindling, the heroes pressed their assault. Currently, the Chaotix and Sonic were engaged with the newly formed Dark 'Egg' Legion.

"Charge Chaotix! We got 'em on the ropes!" Vector yells as the group pushes through any legionnaire that stands before them.

Sonic homing attacks a few before running alongside Knuckles. "You sure you guys need me here? This whole Legion thing is a joke."

Knuckles gives Sonic an irritated look. "I'm the reason why these guys went to Eggman in the first place, so I'm responsible for them..." He then punches another enemy.

"Come on it's not your fault Knux. They shouldn't be so dependent on cybernetics in the first place." The hedgehog pointed out.

"Still, I have to try to reason with them, which means I need to get to Lien-Da." Knuckles replied.

Sonic shrugs. "Alright, I'll cover for you." He says before attacking another legionnaire.

Meanwhile, Lien-Da was sitting in a hover pod talking to Snively via radio. "I asked for reinforcements minutes ago! Where the hell are they?!"

"In case you forgot, the Dark Egg Legion is the standing army now. We don't have any badnik reserves, at the moment, to help you." Snively said calmly.

Lien-Da curses to herself before noticing Knuckles gliding up to her. "Lien-Da! I understand how important those cybernetics were to you, but working for Eggman isn't the best way to do it. He's just going to betray you in the end. Why don't you join us? We can help you any way we can."

However, Lien-Da disagrees. "You so-called Guardians never knew what was right for us! And after all these years you still don't!" She says before retreating.

Knuckles sighs in frustration as the others catch up to him.

"This area's clear. Great job everyone! I wonder how team 2 is doing." Vector says, stretching his arms.

Julie-Su then uses one of her cybernetic locks to contact them.

Saffron's voice is heard a second later. "Yes?"

"How are you guys doing? We've just cleared area down here." Julie replies.

"We're good! The boys just finished setting up the charges. If we blow up this tower, Eggman won't be able to communicate with half of Mobius!" Saffeon cheered.

"Sounds good. Think you guys can meet us at the rendezvous point?" The pink echidna asked.

Saffron looks at the surrounding area. "Um...that's gonna be difficult. We got legionnaires approaching the tower..." The bee replied, looking outside a window.

"Alright, we'll be there soon." Julie says before closing the line. She then gets another message, this time from Nicole. "Nicole?"

"Julie-Su, it's urgent. We need Sonic back at HQ immediately!" The A.I. informed her.

"Alright I'll tell him." Julie then turns to the group. "They're gonna need back-up. The tower's being surrounded. Also Sonic you're needed back at the HQ. Something's going on over there."

Sonic nods. "Think you guys can handle this without me?"

"Don't worry Sonic! We got these chumps on the run! We'll handle the rest." Vector says with assurance.

"Alright, if you say so." Sonic replies before dashing towards the HQ.

**-20 minutes earlier-**

"So what do these star posts do?" Kor asks.

"Well, me and Tails created them so it would be easier to access the special zone. From there we can find a chaos emerald to use for a certain purpose before returning it." Rotor said while gesturing to the inactive portal.

"So THAT'S where the emeralds go. I thought they were just scattered around the world waiting to be found." Kor said.

"Well, it used to be like that until an incident years ago had them sealed in that zone. In my opinion its better for everyone, especially so they don't fall into the wrong hands, plus they're guarded by a powerful being." Tails explaned.

"Ah, I see...out of curiosity do you think it's possible they could access other zones?" Kor said out of curiousity.

Rotor shrugs. "Well, it wasn't made for that purpose but it's possible".

As he and Kor begin to discuss this further, Tails suddenly notices the posts activating. "Um, Rotor? Is it supposed to open up by itself?"

"It shouldn't. It was only designed to go to the special zone..." Rotor tells them, becoming wary.

Before any of them can question about it more, the 3 are suddenly pushed to the ground by a sonic blast eminating from the portal. When regain their senses, Rotor and Tails look in shock. They see another walrus looking exactly like Rotor, but sporting cybernetic enhancements on its head and arms.

"A-Anti Rotor?! How did-" Rotor started before his counterpart cuts him off.

"It's Boomer now, wuss. What's wrong? Scared of your 'shadow' outshining you?" Boomer taunts.

Kor shakes his head before changing his hand into its laser form. "I don't care if you're Rotor's opposite, but you're going to-UGH!"

Kor was kicked into a wall. He looks up and sees a yellow fox floating with its tails spinning. Unlike Tails' hair he has smoothed gray hair on the top of his head. He's also wearing a red jacket fitted with black spiked gauntlets and boots to match. "Let me guess, you're Anti-Tails?..."

The fox glares at him in disgust. "Don't you dare call me that! My Prime version may lack respect but I only respond to Miles."

Before they can go any further, the counterparts of Sally and Antoine walk through the portal. After looking around the chipmunk turns to the coyote. "You can tell her 'highness', that the area is secure." She says sarcastically.

Not a second after that, a red fox in black clothing and wearing a yellow ribbon on her head steps through. "I heard that Alicia, and I suggest you watch your tone...Suppression Squad! Forward!"

Kor sighs in frustration. "This week just keeps getting better..."

**A/N: And that's enough for now. Again I apoligize for the late delivery, had writer's block and was busy for awhile. Now I was thinking of giving Kor a counterpart which would have 2 ideas. The first one being that he's a pacifist like Knuckles' opposite, or one that's way more insane than Kor is and is comparable to the Borderlands psychos. So just tell me what you think.**


	9. Moebian Invasion

** A/N: Last we left our heroes, it seems their evil versions were invading Freedom HQ. Why are they here of all times and what do they hope to achieve? Let's watch.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my own OC.**

As the Suppression Squad begins their attack, Rotor, Tails, and Kor quickly jump in various directions to avoid getting hit by another sonic pulse from Boomer.

"Just who the heck are these guys?! And why do they want HQ so bad?!" Kor yells while charging his laser hand.

"They're from an alternative universe called Anti-Mobius! And to answer your second question your guess is as good as mine!" Rotor yells back before ducking from another blast.

Kor finishes charging and opens fire on Boomer. As the 2 exchange fire around the lab Tails and Miles engage in an aerial battle, trying to out-fox each other **(no pun intended)**. The noise draws the attention of Sally, Amy, Antoine, and Bunnie, who were elsewhere in the base.

This doesn't go unnoticed by Alicia. "Patch cover me. I'm going to disable the comm. line so they can't send for more help."

However, Patch plays it coolly. "Please ma Princess, these fools are hardly a threat."

He would've kept this stance, had Amy not sprang out of no where with that giant hammer of hers. She smashes part of the wall close to Patch's head. "You've got a lot of nerve coming back here after all you've done!" The pink hedgehog tells him.

"Mon dieu!" He panics and makes a run for it.

"Come back here so I can smash you!" Amy says while chasing after the French coward.

"This girl is a monster! AAAH!" Patch screams as the hammer behind him makes a hole in the floor.

As for Alicia, she makes her way over to the comm. line but Bunnie quickly pins her to the ground. She's unable to push her off until the cybernetic Mobian is blasted off by Boomer. Kor's hand needed time to recharge and is currently helping Tails deal with Miles. As she gets up, she begins engagement with her Prime counterpart.

"So what's your motive for coming back here Alicia? Last I checked you guys were never fond of this place." Sally points out.

"We aren't, but our 'King' and 'Queen' wanted some new digs." Alicia said begrudgingly. Like the others, they weren't fond of their new management.

"King and Queen? You don't mean..." Sally said, putting the pieces together.

"As much as I hate it, I do." Alicia says before swinging a roundhouse kick at Sally. Sally blocks before delivering a kick of her own.

**-17 minutes later-**

The fighting has kept going with neither side giving an inch. Antoine and Patch are locked in a duel of swordsmanship, Kor managed to bring Miles down to his level after his hand recharged and is trying to bash the fox's head in, but Miles manages to take off again. Amy and Sally dodge another blast from Boomer until the cyborg Moebian is attacked by Bunnie with Amy assisting. Sally sees an opening to the mic and makes a run to it only to be blocked by Fiona.

"What's wrong Princess? Need your 'boyfriend' to come and save you?" The vixen taunted her.

"No, I was actually just part of the distraction." Sally smirks at her.

Fiona's eyes widen in shock as she turns and notices Rotor at the mic. He desperately calls Nicole. "Nicole! We need Sonic back here ASAP! Things are getting out of hand!"

"Oh and mind telling Hornet to standby?! I'm not fond of destroying the place a second time but it might come to that!" Kor yells while firing another volley at Miles.

"I'll get on that right now!" Nicole said and sends the messages.

Three minutes pass before Sonic arrives. However as he does, a green hedgehog wearing a black biker jacket with flames on the sleeves along with a red pair of shades walks through the portal. He's also wearing what appears to be a silver crown on his forehead. This hedgehog, is known as Scourge. "Attention scrubs of this zone: the king has arrived! Respect."

Sonic groaned at seeing his counterpart and folds his arms. "I'm guessing this home invasion was your idea Scourge?"

"That's 'King' Scourge, Sonic." The evil hedgehog boasted.

"Oh, so you're a royal pain then?" Sonic smirks before spin dashing to him.

Scourge counters with his own spin. They continue to talk as they fight.

"Since you're the 'Hero of Mobius', that means I can be just as powerful, and way better. When I went to my world, I conquered it in only 3 days! Not only that, I decided to get the old gang back together to be much better than you so-called Freedom Fighters. We aren't just your 'evil twins' anymore. I am Scourge, King of a bold new Moebius, and now your world will fall to my Suppression Squad!" Scourge smirked.

"Heh, what's in a name? A 'dork' by any other name is just as lame. You're messing with Sonic the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius, and the Freedom Fighters. Pack it up and go home before you regret it." Sonic says, smirking back at him.

"I'm so glad I'm sitting this one out...my back isn't healed yet and I'd hate to be in the middle of that." Rotor says with Nicole agreeing with him. The 2 groups charge at each other once more.

Both groups are evenly matched, lasers and sonic pulses flying every which way, various mobians engaged in different forms of combat from Sonic and Scourge's high speed brawl to Sally and Fiona using martial arts. Sonic spins at Scourge once more, nearly knocking him back through the star post. Unfortunately, Fiona manages to grab him. "I got you hon. What should we do?"

Scourge looks at her in anger. "What should we do? I almost got sent back! The rest of you better get it together! You _do not_ want to be sent back with me!"

After that short pause, the Squad resumes their attack, forcing the heroes to get pushed back again.

However, Sonic begins to notice the damage being wrought to the base. Various pieces of equipment are damaged or destroyed and many holes are in the floor and wall due to the shootout. "Everyone! Fall back!" The Blue Blur commanded.

"I call cover fire!" Kor says and begins to pepper shots at the Suppression Squad while everyone else runs out of the lab.

Once everyone else is out Kor shuts the door. Bunnie throws one of the sofas at it to keep it shut, at least until they blow the door down.

"Guys we need a solid plan. If we keep fighting like this there won't be an HQ left to save." Sonic said.

"Right. Given all of our options right now, I think it's best if we retreat for the time being." Sally suggested.

Sonic frowns at her upon hearing that. "That wasn't the kind of plan I was hoping for...We can't just abandon this place Sal."

"I know but they caught us off guard and we aren't in the position to continue this fight." The princess pointed out.

Sonic looks around and notices most of the Freedom Fighters are sporting bruises or other indications of battle damage. Bunnie's arm has several dents in it thanks to Boomer, Kor's hand is smoking a little from overuse, Antoine has some cuts from his fight with Patch, etc.

"Alright. I don't like it, but I agree with ya." Sonic sighed.

As they make their way to the exit, their counterparts finally break down the door.

"Aw what's wrong Sonic? Did we play alittle too rough?" Scourge taunts him.

"We'll settle this later Scourge. Don't think you won yet." Sonic retorts before exiting himself.

"You know, we could blow it up if we're unable to liberate it from them." Kor suggests.

Sonic gives him a look. "We aren't going to destroy it Kor."

"I know, just sayin' it might come to that..." The engineer replied.

As they begin to trek back to New Mobotropolis, they meet up with the Chaotix.

"What happened to you guys?" Knuckles asks with concern.

"We had to deal with an invasion from Anti-Mobius. For now they've taken control of the HQ." Sally said grimly.

"Great, now we got _two_ things to worry about...is everyone alright?" Julie-Su asks after taking note of everyone's condition.

"Don' worry Su, we'll live. Did y'all manage to do yer mission?" Bunnie asks.

"Yeah. It was pretty tough but we managed to knock down one of Eggman's communication towers. Unfortunately after Sonic left we were nearly overrun since the Legion managed to reorganize, but at least Eggman can't talk with half the planet now." Vector says with a smile.

Sonic chuckles abit. "Sorry I had to leave you guys to deal with that."

"Don't worry about it Sonic. We handled them well." Knuckles assures him.

As the group reaches the outskirts of their city, Kor asks a good question. "So what are we going to do about the 'Faker Squad'?" Some chuckle at this.

"For now, they'll have to be our first priority. With Eggman's forces down he shouldn't make an attack any time soon. Given how strong they are, we should plan to stop them now before they become a bigger problem." Sally explained.

"Sounds great, but I'm still wondering how they managed to get here through the star post. They're supposed to be only linked to the Special Zone." Rotor said, scratching his head thinking about possibilities.

"We'll figure that out soon enough. First, we need to explain the situation to the Council." The chipmunk told them.

**A/N: Well the Suppression Squad are a nice little group aren't they? Given the circumstances it's a good idea that they are the immediate threat, but main question is: will the Council agree? **


	10. Executive Meddling

**A/N: Time for chapter 10. By the way, you know how sometimes the beuracracy can be a real pain? You'll see why in a minute. Also I would like to thank those who have viewed this story. Up to almost 300 views over the 9 chapters.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

Once the two groups made it back to the city, they went about their business to get some well-deserved rest. In the mean time, Sonic, Sally, Kor, and Knuckles were appealing to the Council of Acorn about the situation concerning the Suppression Squad. The Council of Acorn was made after Tails father Amadeus led a massive crowd to the castle to voice their opinion of the Acorn family's leadership. For many years it was known that the Acorn family weren't exactly the best of leaders, but Amadeus knew that Elias never wanted to be king in the first place. Main reason was that he stepped in due to his father's deteriorating health. After some debate between Amadeus, Elias, and Sally, the council was formed as a way to give more power to the people, although this had some downsides. Originally, the Freedom Fighters would have been free to carry out their own strategies, but under the law of the new Council they had to answer to them first. Even Rotor was a member of the council along with Sonic's Uncle, Chuck. However, things weren't working in their favor.

"While we understand your concerns about Freedom HQ Princess Sally, Eggman is still a present threat to everyone." Said Penelope, one of the council members.

"Plus, your assaults on his base of operations have prevented him from trying to attack us for a good while." Agreed Hamlim, another member.

"Eggman is only not much of a threat due to the fact most of his forces had been destroyed after a...certain incident...but the Suppression Squad pose a bigger threat right now." Sonic countered.

"Plus, they had forced us to retreat lest we ended up destroying the place. And I gotta say, they sure pack a mean punch. Still need ice for my head..." Kor said in agreement.

"Also, Eggman is scrapping he bottom of the barrel with what forces he has left. I've seen it myself. He doesn't have the capability to launch a counter attack right now." Knuckles chimed in.

"That may be true but do you remember the times Eggman has surprised us all? He could be developing a new weapon to take us all out at this very moment. You can stop him now while he's at his weakest." Hamlin said.

"While that may be true Hamlin, we'd still have another issue to deal with even if we stopped Eggman for good. And who knows how far the Surpression Squad may spread their influence by the time we do stop him." Rotor said.

"Well, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it. That as it may be, you've all handled them easily before." Rosemary, Tails' mother, pointed out.

Elias was growing alittle tired of this debate and wanted to have it settled before things got out of control. "Why don't we put a vote out. All in favor of leaving Freedom HQ alone for now?"

In a 4 to 2 vote, the decision was made. Rotor and Uncle Chuck were the only 2 who opposed this. The heroes gave exasperated sighs before leaving. "Fucking government..." Kor muttered to himself.

Once outside, they settle in the shade to talk amongst themselves.

"We really should take back the HQ, regardless of what they say..." Sonic said, arms crossed and tapping his foot.

"We could, but I think they may have a point. We might be able to stop Eggman in a few days if we keep the pressure on as they suggest." Knuckles points out.

However, Sonic knows he doesn't really mean it. "I know that, but I'm gonna do what I know is right."

"I had the same thing in mind when I became Enerjak, AND HOW YOU THINK THAT WENT?! I LOST MY FATHER BECAUSE OF MY OWN SELFISH DECISIONS!" Knuckles yells in rage, tears beginning to stream from his eyes. "IF I HADN'T GONE ALONE HE WOULD..." He sighs in sadness. "Go do whatever you want Sonic...I need to be alone for awhile..." After that, he walks away.

The others look on in sadness. "That whole Enerjak thing's really eaten 'im...I may not feel what Knuckles is going through but I understand his situation." Kor says to the other two.

"Agreed...Sonic I don't like the council's decision as much as you do, but we need a solid plan before we can do anything about the HQ." Sally says to him.

"True...however I could go scout the place to make sure they aren't up to anything. Might even find out what they plan on doing next." Sonic suggested.

Sally thinks on this for a moment. "...Alright, but don't get yourself hurt Blue."

Sonic chuckles at this. "You know me Sal, I can handle just about anything." The Blue Blur says before speeding out of the city.

Kor gives Sally a smirk. "You know he's gonna be in a lot of trouble when he comes back right?"

"Yep, but by then we'll have something figured out." Sally said. After that the two go off to find Tails, Rotor, and Uncle Chuck.

**-Nearly 2 hours later-**

Sonic calmly walks back into New Mobotropolis, slightly sore from the battle he had but otherwise ok. Apparently, when he arrived at Freedom HQ he found Scourge fighting Metal Sonic. He attempted to intervene and breifly the 2 ganged up on him until Metal's backup, Metal Scourge, arrived. The 2 hedgehogs had a hard time beating them until Sonic thought back to when he was matched blow for blow by the Eggman's battle suit. He then suggested bringing in someone the robots weren't designed for, and after some hesitation, Scourge ordered the Suppression Squad to attack. The 2 robots were then cut to pieces by the Moebians. Sonic then decided to head back after that scuffle. Unsurprisingly, he knew would be in trouble for his actions, which was justified as 2 soldiers were waiting for him by the main entrance.

"The king requests your presence Sonic. He says you're in big trouble." One of them says.

Sonic just chuckles. "I knew he'd give me a lecture when I got back."

After a short walk to the castle, Elias lectured him about ignoring the council's decision. Sally was there after hearing his return.

"You do realize what could have happened if you had been captured right? You defied a direct order, and as such you must serve a punishment for it." Elias said.

"I know that your highness, but no one is going to stop me from doing anything if I have the right mind to do so." Sonic stated.

Elias shakes his head. "I'm amazed you 2 have kept your relationship going for this long..." Elias says to his sister.

"You'd be surprised...why don't you go about your usual business Elias. I'll handle Sonic's punishment." Sally said.

"Very well. I'm starting to develop a headache already." Elias said before walking off.

After the king leaves, Sally takes Sonic to the Science Center.

"So exactly is my "punishment?" The hedgehog asked.

"Oh you'll see." Sally says with a smirk before opening one of the labs.

Inside, Tails, Rotor, Kor, and Uncle Chuck were working on a new pair of star posts. Amy was nearby taking practice swings with her hammer. "I'm going to take a wild shot in the dark on this: we're gonna invade Moebius?" Sonic asked.

"Yep. Scourge decided it would be a good idea to invade us, might as well take a leave out of his book and do the same." Sally explains to him.

Sonic gives his traditional smirk. "You know we all risk being tried for treason on this right?"

"It'll be worth it though, cause sometimes the government ain't the best at makin' plans." Kor says while soldering another piece of metal.

"I still don't understand why the council won't realize we'd still have another big issue at hand." Rotor sighs.

Even though he and Chuck were council members, the resulting decision had them at odds with the rest of the group.

"Ah, they just want Eggman finally behind bars is all. We'll get him soon enough, but they need to realize things take time." Chuck explained. "Ok, these posts are nearly finished." He said to Sonic and Sally.

"So what's the plan Sal?" Sonic asks.

"You and Amy will head into Moebius and find a way to reverse Scourge's invasion, and try to cause him as many problems as possible." Said the princess.

"I thought this was a _solo_ mission." Sonic pouted, folding his arms.

"You'll need back-up on a hostile world we know little about. Besides, Amy's been dying for more time with you." Sally teased.

"She's got a point Sonic. Never go into uncharted enemy territory alone unless you have a map." Kor chimed in.

"You guys are cruel..." Sonic whined. The others chuckled at that.

Amy then latched onto Sonic's waste. "Oh Sonic won't this be great?! It'll almost be like a first date!" Amy said while clinging to him. The blue hedgehog just groaned in annoyance.

After a couple more minutes the 4 tech wizards finished the star posts and activate them. "Ok guys it's ready. However, we don't know which part of Moebius it'll drop you guys into so...watch your step!" Tails said with a smile.

"If anything we should be able to handle whatever we get into. Ready Amy?" Sonic asks the pink hedgehog. She nods and the 2 jump through the portal.

"What do we do now Sally?" Chuck asks.

"Now, we play the waiting game, and hope they're ok..." Sally says before sitting on a desk.

"Welp, if we're gonna be waiting for awhile, might as well touch up on some of the defenses." Kor says to them before letting himself out the lab.

**-Minutes Later-**

Kor stood outside the east section of the wall. He pressed a button on his PDA and a large section had opened up, revealing 3 large sentries mounted into the wall. The sentries stared at their creator for a moment before doing a casual scan of the area. Each sentry fired a different weapon: one had a rotary and flak cannon, one had rockets, and the last one fired missiles. After the whole issue with Enerjak, and some begging to the council, he finally had permission and time to install 8 batteries concealed into the wall. Main reason for this was so the city would appear to only have a shield for defense, to hide the battery locations so they don't destroyed for sticking out, and as to not scare anyone. Kor asked Nicole if she wanted to help handle them but the Holo-lynx was a bit nervous to handle such weaponry. It didn't matter if she did help or not to Kor, but he thought it might be a fun experience for her.

Currently, the former merc was checking the sensors of the sentries when Nicole had partially materialized next to him. "Oh hey Nicole. What's up?" Kor said.

"Nothing much, just wanted to see what you were up to." The A.I. said with a smile.

"Well, right now I'm adjusting the sensors so they could recognize the Moebians as a threat. Only had them programmed to attack Eggman."

"I see...um...when you asked to put them in, did you have to make them this big though?" Nicole said as she stared at them. Given their size, it wouldn't take much to intimidate any foe.

"Well, I could've made them smaller but then I thought if Eggman sends a robot horde or something, size might come in handy." Kor explained as he finished adjusting one of the sentries.

"I see." Nicole said, standing rather uncomfortably. "Something wrong?" The fox asked.

"No no. Well...about your offer earlier, I don't know if I can handle controlling a weapon of this caliber. I've never been in any military hard drive where I had to use it." The A.I. explained.

"What about the times Sally took you on various missions?" Kor asked.

"Those times I just needed to hack the system to open a door or change protocols. I even disabled weapons before." Nicole stated.

"So basically you're saying you don't know how to shoot?" Kor said, paraphrasing her words.

"For lack of better words, I guess..." Nicole said, looking at the ground.

Kor chuckled a bit. "Well Nikki, I can help you do that. Now that doesn't mean we'll start on something big, just somethin' small. Trust me when we're done you'll be able to better defend yourself and everyone else. Plus, like you told Dimitri, you said you 'wouldn't use the nanites as a weapon' right?" She nods. "Well that's why I constructed these beauties myself. That way, you provide the shields and I provide the countermeasures. This is technically our city since we built it." The engineer finished.

Nicole smiled at that. "Very true. Well, if you're going to teach me, what will we use?"

"My old sentries I built back in my world. They're small, simple to use. Heck you could just hack them by touching them." He joked. Nicole couldn't help but giggle given that would be true.

"By the way, mind me askin' out of curiousity?" Kor began.

"Hmm?" The A.I. looked at him questioningly.

"Since you're an advanced A.I. capable of expressing emotions, did you ever wonder what it would be like to have a real body?" He said as he opened up the second sentry.

Nicole thought about the time she had temporarily switched places with Sally to experience what that feeling was like. "Yes I have. Some time ago, long before your enemy became involved, I had temporarily switched places with Sally to experience what it was like to _actually_ live. It was a thrilling experience that I wished to go through once more. I am incredibly greatful Sally gave me that opportunity, but the closest thing I have to experiencing a real body is projecting this hologram..." She looked over herself in sadness.

Kor stopped his work and put a hand on her shoulder. "Look Nicole, you may be an A.I., but you're about as Mobian as the rest of us. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise because you know you're more than that. A computer can only go so far, but you? You're smarter than any two-bit computer. You can think for yourself, you can help others in more ways than one, and you...well to sum it up your pretty much have a soul. People would have to be stupid not to see past that."

Nicole smiled warmly at Kor. Aside from the other Freedom Fighters, few people saw her more than just some advanced computer, and being that Kor worked with computers most of the time in his life he knew what he was talking about. "For someone with a past of being a crazed mercenary, you know what to say at the best of times Kor."

"Well, myself, Sniper, and Spah were the most sane members of the team." Kor chuckled.

He was then caught off guard as the holo-lynx hugged him. "Thanks for cheering me up...I've felt that way for quite awhile and despite being told by my friends it didn't help much." Nicole said.

"Well, maybe you just needed a change of voice." He said as he returned the hug. During that time Kor thought back to his merc days and remembered something, but he wasn't sure if it was possible. "Hey Nicole? I think I know of a way to make your dream a reality."

She pulled alittle to look at his face. "What do you mean?"

"In my days as a merc we had a system called respawn, and-" Kor was cut off as the flak-welding sentry had beeped and pointed toward the forest. It usually does this when alerted to an enemy presence.

"Sorry to intrude but I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Both Mobians looked to the source of the voice, and to their surprise, was Miles of the Surppression Squad.

**A/N: That's enough of part 10. At first I was thinking of it being shorter but decided to add more to it. So does Miles want and where is the rest of his group? And secondly, how come the sentry didn't chew him up on sight? You'll have to find out next time!**


	11. Conspiring with the Enemy

**A/N: Time for chapter 11. Last time we left, the heroes trying to persuade the council to allow them to take back Freedom HQ, but they denied their request. So, doing what they know is right, they set about invading Moebius to turn the tide, but now Nicole and Kor are approached by Miles outside the city. What will transpire? Let's see.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Kor shouts at Miles, that kick he gave him fresh in his mind.

"I'm here under the pretense of bombing your city, but I am not here to do that. However, I wish to speak with the rest of the Freedom Fighters." Miles says in a stoic voice. He's not even flinching at the fact a large sentry had its gun trained on him.

"And what do you want to discuss with them? You know they aren't keen on speaking with you guys after you made us give up our HQ..." The engineer replied.

"That, I will tell you once the others are here." Miles tells Kor.

The 2 Mobians stare at the Moebian for a moment. "Fine...Nicole can you go get the others. I'll keep an eye on him." Kor told her. The A.I. nods before disappearing. "You know Miles, I'm almost surprised you aren't flinching right now."

"If you think I should be scared of a weapon that size I've seen worse." Miles said, a smirk forming on his face.

"Such as?" Kor asked.

"Well, what if I told you there was an anti-version of you?" Said the Moebian.

Kor opened his mouth to retort but paused. If there was an anti-version of everyone else, it was entirely possible he had an opposite too. "...I'm listening."

**-New Mobotropolis Science Center-**

Nicole materialized back into the science lab. Sally, Tails, and Rotor were the only ones still there. Uncle Chuck had left awhile ago to resume his council duties. "Guys, we got a problem. Miles of the Suppression Squad is outside the city."

This causes shock from everyone else. "What?! I never thought they'd attack so soon...what's he doing?" Sally asks.

"Right now Kor watching over him. He says he wishes to speak with us on something." Nicole informed them.

"I hope it's about his unconditional surrender..." Tails muttered.

"I doubt they'd give up so easily Tails." Says Rotor.

"Right. Nicole, tell Bunnie and Antoine to meet me and Tails outside the city. We'll be there in a few." Sally commanded.

"What about me?" Rotor asks, feeling a bit let down.

"I know you want to be a part of this Rotor, but Sonic and Amy..." Nicole began.

"Right right, they'll need a way back. Alright you guys on on without me, I'll get these up and running again." Rotor says. The other 3 nod before setting about.

**-Minutes Later-**

Miles just finished explaining something to Kor when the others arrive. Kor decides to keep the information to himself unless they do run into a certain 'someone.'

"Ok Miles, normally we'd just arrest you on site, but we're willing to hear you out." Sally stated.

"Right. Now, you may not like this idea, but the Suppression Squad wishes to forge an alliance with the Freedom Fighters." Miles said.

"An alliance? Right, so you guys can just stab us in the back?" Tails said with a tinge of venom in his voice.

"Tempting thought, but no. You see, the only reason me and the rest of the Squad came here was because our 'king' forced us to. He made us become more than just 'evil twins' like he had, and while that seemed good in a sense his ruthlessness has put our planet in disrepair, especially since he forced us to be his back-up...We want nothing more than to see him thoroughly defeated, and we believe Sonic is our best chance at that." The moebian fox explained.

"Hmm...mind if we debate on this for a moment?" Sally asks.

"You may." The others turn their back for a moment while Miles just looks at the scenery. The sentry gun still pointed at him.

"Can we even trust him? How do we know this isn't a ruse for a trap?" Tails pointed out.

"Valid point Tails, but if they do hate Scourge as much as he says, this would be our best chance to get rid of him. Back when Gray had killed our employers, I had to team up with the men I killed several times a week." Kor said. The others look at him with weird expressions. "What? Just saying rivalries don't last forever."

"I still don't like it..." The kit replied.

"Like it or not Tails, this may be our one chance." Sally said before turning back to Miles."Alright Miles, we'll agree to your alliance."

Miles gives a devious smile. "I was hoping you would. Now here's the plan..."

**-Half an hour later-**

"What the hell is taking Miles so long? How hard is it to blow up a simple city?!" Scourge asks out loud. Himself and the rest of the Suppression Squad had been waiting for him to return for nearly 2 hours.

"Being as smart as he is, he should be back by now..." Fiona says disgruntingly.

"Ever heard of the saying _good things come to those who wait_?" Alica chimes in.

"Patience was never my strong suit Alicia," Scourge begins, "and if Miles isn't back soon I'm going to go over there and strangle him..."

Fiona then looks out the window, noticing something in the distance. "I think you'll get your wish hon. He's coming back, but he ain't alone." She finishes with a glare.

Outside, Miles is being pursued by the Freedom Fighters. He quickly rushes through the entrance as the mobians come barreling after him. "What the hell took you so long?! I expected you to be back much sooner!" Scourge asks.

"And why did _they _follow you here?!" Fiona adds.

However, Miles ignores them both and runs right to Alicia. "The alliance with the Freedom Fighters was a success." Alica gives an evil grin.

"An alliance? What alliance?!" Scourge yells at them.

"Oh nothing Scourge. We're just going to show you just what we think of our _king_." Alicia told him.

**-Meanwhile on Moebius-**

Sonic and Anti-Bunny, now called Buns Rabbot, were heading toward the lab in Anti-Castle Acorn. Buns Rabbot looked much like her counterpart, but unlike Bunnie she doesn't have any cybernetic attachments. She was also in a blue Omega Care Suit to cure her NIDS (**A/N: Basically it's their version of AIDS except it's more of a neurological illness)**. Earlier in the castle they met Amy's anti version, a crazed psychopath pink hedgehog named Rosy the Rascal. Apparently she has an obbession with wanting to smash everything with her hammer, especially anything looking like Sonic, but unlike Amy's hammer, Rosy's is green and has spikes attached to the ends. Amy said she would distract her, though Buns worried for her well-being. Sonic assured her she could handle herself.

Also while running about the castle they came across several old-modelled sentry guns, ones that look much like the ones Kor used in his old days except they were painted blue instead of red. Sonic easily despatched any they came across and was wondering if Kor's anti-self was really here.

"Man if Kor used to be crazy, I wonder how his anti-version is..." Sonic said.

"You mean Theron? That bloody fox's been givin' us a hard time all over. He's the only person aside from Rosy and Kintobor who managed to avoid being swept in Scourge's rein, mainly because he killed anyone who tried and they didn't want to tangle with him! I'm still debatin' which one is crazier." Buns explained.

Soon they made it into the lab. Fortunately the globe posts used to enter Mobius were still running.

"Guess the Squad wanted to keep a supply line running. You go on, I'll wait for Amy." Buns tells him.

"Thanks for everything Buns. I hope things are going smooth back home." Sonic says before jumping through the portal.

Not soon after he did, Amy runs into the lab. "She broke my hammer! She'll be here any second!" Amy yells.

Buns moves to block the door, but Rosy pushes her out of the way with her hammer. She then sees the active globe posts. "Ooooo, smashy smash!"

"No! She's going to break the posts!" Amy yells again.

However, before any damage could be brought to the machines Buns intercepts her. She knocks the crazed hedgehog back though Rosy quickly retaliates. "Amy get Sonic back here! I can't hold her forever!" Buns says Rosy smashes one of the arms of her suit.

Amy didn't need to be told twice as she too jumps through. Unknown to the 2 combatants, someone else sneaked into the lab amidst their battle.

**-As Sonic returned to Mobius-**

When Sonic jumped through the posts, he returned to the Freedom HQ lab. However, he was met with a surprising sight. The Suppression Squad and Freedom Fighters were attacking Scourge and Fiona, but despite their numbers they were slowly losing the battle.

"Fucking traitors! I took down a whole planet! A planet! And you morons think you can take me?! Sonic can't take me, and you still want to take me out?! You could have served the baddest king ever! Now you're gonna get served!" Scourge yells as he punches and kicks various mobians on both sides.

Sonic stands there confused for a moment before Nicole gets his attention on the computer screen. "Sonic, the Suppression Squad had mutinied on Scourge but they aren't enough to stand against him. You need to back them up." She said.

"Heh, guess Scourge couldn't keep the leash on after all." Sonic says before rushing to join the brawl. However Fiona gets in his way.

"I'm surprised you didn't mutiny against Scourge Fiona. Someone like him definitely deserves it." He says to her.

"Please, I owe you guys nothing. After everyone I _trusted_ left me to rot on my own, I learned one hard truth: You can never count on anyone..." Fiona says with a glare.

"Oh really? You sure seem to be so trusting of Scourge. In fact he's probably the _only_ person you've put your life on the line for." Sonic points out.

This causes Fiona's glare to harden. "It's not like that!"

"You keep telling yourself that." He shrugs.

Before the 2 could argue further Amy suddenly appears through the star posts. "Sonic! Buns needs help! She's got Rosy distracted but she won't hold her forever!"

Sonic nods then turns to Fiona. "Right. Sorry to cut our chat short Fiona but I need to end this." He says before knocking her out of the way with a spin dash.

He then barrels his war toward Scourge. However, the moment he reaches his double, Boomer and Kor fire at them both. The attacks from the sonic pulses and lasers knock the two out.

"Ah hell...my bad!" Kor said, realizing he accidentally hit Sonic as well while Boomer just grins.

Miles then lifts the two and throws them back through the star posts, Amy following them in pursuit. "Boomer! Shut this thing down!" Miles tells him.

"Woah, what the hell?! Friendly fire much?!" Kor yells as Boomer moves to shut down the posts. Before anyone can stop him he reaches the controls and begins the shut down sequence. But, before they fully shut down, something, or rather _someone_ jumps through just as they close.

The Supression Squad look in shock while the Freedom Fighters are surprised. The Moebian that made it through was a blue fox that bears a striking resemblance to Kor, wearing a red stained glove, brown boots, a yellow hard hat, and goggles to match. However, much like with Bun's case, he beared no cybernetics. He was also sporting a large tri-barreled shotgun with a bladed wrench strapped to his side. All the while, he wore this crazed menacing grin that put everyone off. This Moebian, was Anti-Kor, though he was called Theron, which was Kor's middle name.

"I was afraid this would happen..." Miles says with some notible fear in his voice.

"_This fox is probably as crazy as Rosy, or more so. There's no telling what he can do."_ Kor thought as he recalled that discussion he and Miles had.

The blue fox then spoke. "Attention everyone present! Today your death will be met at the hands of Theron! Now now don't worry, it'll be quick, _maybe_." He said and gave a heartly laugh.

"This guy reminds me of when I had my 'off' days..." Kor mutters to himself before getting his opposite's attention. "Put the gun down junior and maybe I won't gut yer ass."

"Well if it ain't my opposite. Been waitin' to meet ya since these morons here managed to invade this world. Now I can add ya to my collection of severed heads along with the rest of them!" Kor shakes his head.

"Nope. It's you and me hoss. Leave the others out of it." Kor said, glaring at his opposite.

"Alrighty then, will be just as fun killin ya anyways!" Theron says as he readies the gun.

Kor changes his hand into its laser form. "You wish buddy, cause I'm gonna tear you down..."

**A/N: And cliffhanger moment! So turns out Kor does have an opposite, abeit one more screws loose than one could count. So how will this fight between Red vs. Blu turn out? You'll have to wait til next chapter.**


	12. RED vs BLU

**A/N: It's time for chapter 12, and with it, the fight between a former RED and BLU engineer. How will this battle between 2 former mercs turn out? Time to find out!**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC and his opposite.**

As the 2 foxes stared each other down, Kor took a good look at the gun Theron was holding. "Isn't that a-" Kor began.

"AA-12 automatic shotgun? Yes it is, 'cept I made some modifications." Theron said. Then, the barrels of the gun began to spin in a fashion similar to a minigun. "Now, how do you stop some big mean mother hubbard from tearin' you a structural superfluous new behind?" He began.

Kor knew where this was going. "Ah hell..."

"Use a gun!" And with that, the blue fox opened fire.

Kor instinctively ducked and hid behind a nearby table. Theron then started shooting at everyone and everything, damaging the lab even more in the process. Everyone began to panic and ducked to the nearest cover that as available. Even Nicole who was watching from the computer screen stood there in shock. During his onslaught, one of the buckshots damaged the controls for the star posts, causing them to shut down.

"And if that don't work, use more gun!" Theron said as he tossed out a blue toolbox. The box opened up as a standard Builders League United sentry began to build itself. Kor peeked out to see it building but with Theron constantly blasting everywhere he couldn't try to damage it at all. The sentry formed up to level 3, twin miniguns and rockets, and shot at anyone who tried to peak out of what they were hiding behind. Some of the Mobians got damaged by the debris caused from the rocket salvos.

"_Shit. How the hell can I stop this maniac?!...Wait, he's got a drum mag, so when he runs out..._" Kor then began to charge up his hand for a large, single blast. The main drawback of doing this was that shooting a concentrated blast drains the hand's core much faster than regular shooting, so Kor knew he only had one chance at this. Suddenly, everyone hears a clicking sound along with Theron muttering to himself.

"_Now!_" Kor looks up from his position and fires at the sentry. It hits it dead on and shuts it off, but Kor doesn't know for how long. Thinking quick he runs to Theron and tackles him before he could put in a new magazine for his gun.

"Get off me you gutless coward!" Theron shouts as he punches Kor in the face.

He reels a little from the hit but retaliates with his own. "Says the coward who put down adamn sentry!"

The 2 briefly separate before exchanging blows again, delivering various punches and kicks. "I can why you're my opposite. You ain't a _real_ Texan, cause a _real_ Texan ought to use more gun! Speakin' of which..." Theron then kicks Kor in his mid-section.

He lands on his back in front of the sentry, which then comes back online, beeping at the detection of an enemy. "Augh!" Kor screams and rolls to the side before the spot he was in a second ago is peppered with bullets and rockets.

However, Kor knows sentries have weaknesses. Despite how menacing they are, they're quite fragile, can only target whoever is closest to them, and its possible to out-turn them. He remembers how often he grew annoyed about demomen, soldiers, and rarely scouts constantly blowing up his buildings. He runs around the sentry as it tries to get a bead on him before jumping onto its back. It spins as it continues to try to target him. "Everyone get out while I got this thing distracted!" Kor yelled.

"But, what about you?!" Sally yells. "JUST GIT OUTTA HERE!" The engineer yelled.

The Moebians didn't need to be told twice and leave the room, the Freedom Fighters following shortly.

Theron laughs at this. "Seems yer friends there didn't want to help ya son. Doesn't since when I'm done with you, they'll be next." He says before taking aim at Kor.

"Like hell you will!" He says and punches the sentry's main control unit with his robotic hand. The sentry whines in protest and begins to malfunction, randomly sputtering bullets and rockets. Kor then forcefully turns it to Theron, who gets hit by a rocket salvo. "Augh!" The blue fox screams and flies into the wall.

Kor continues to punch the main unit until the sentry ceases to work. He then kicks it over. "'Gutless coward'? Fucking hypocrite..." Kor looks around for his double, but doesn't see him anywhere. "Where the hell did he..."

"Kor behind you!" Nicole shouts.

After her warning, Kor ducks instinctively, and feels his left ear sting horribly. He then runs behind another counter as more buckshots follow him.

"That was some nice trick you pulled there, but yer lucky I just nicked yer ear." Theron says with a chuckle.

Kor then feels his left ear and feels a noticeable portion had been blown off. He winces from touching it then glares. "I'm gettin' sick of this fuckin' lunatic..." He mutters to himself.

Theron walks over to where Kor was hiding, finger on the trigger. "Just come on out with yer hands up, and I _might_ make it quick."

"So this is just a game to you huh? What the hell made you so damn crazy?!" Kor retorts.

"Bein' on Moebius did. Also I was truly insane when workin' for BLU. One of the best engineers, then Gray killed mah boss. He fled to Moebius, but I tracked him down and killed him. Then those dumbass Suppression idiots thought they could try to boss me around, and I showed them what for, same with anyone else who messed with me. But, this game's gettin' old...so why don't you just give up." Theron said with a crazy grin.

Kor glares and looks at his hand, noticing it's done charging. "How about this!"

He lifts his hand up and fires. Theron aims to fire but the lasers hit the gun itself. This causes the gun to malfunction and shutter. "What in the-" Was all Theron could say before it explodes. The blast causes him to stagger backwards, dazed. "Ah hell..." He mutters.

Kor then coming from behind the counter and walks over to him, his hand reverting back to normal. "So, you think this is all a game right. Well guess what? I'm through playin' games with you boy..." He said with a fierce glare and grabs the blue fox by his chest fur.

"H-hey pardner, can we talk this out?" Theron asks with a nervous smile. "Nope." Kor says with an evil grin.

For the next minute screams can be heard from Theron as Kor mercilessly pummels him into the floor. The Moebian is then thrown into the wall and slumps against it. Bruised all over and barely conscious, he looks up at Kor, who now has his wrench out. "You just got dominated hardhat. Given that you tried to kill my friends, and how crazy you are, you done incurred my wrath, son." The red fox says before raising it.

Nicole became shocked at what Kor was about to do. Although Kor mentioned parts of his past, she's never seen him like this. She grew increasingly unnerved as she watched but seeing Kor about to kill someone made her snap. "Kor don't! You'll kill him!"

"That's the idea Nicole." Kor shrugged.

"Look Kor, I know you've been a mercenary trained to kill others but you said you left that part of your life behind you! Plus look at him! He's barely conscious!"

Kor looks down at the sorry state Theron is in. He sighs in agreement. "You're right...sorry you had to see all that. Nearly lost it there..." He says to her before looking at his counterpart. "Now look here son. I may have not killed you now, but I'm givin' you one warning: If I ever see you around here again I won't hesitate to put you 6 feet under..." He said before Theron passed out.

The others poked through the door after they heard Nicole scream. They see Theron unconscious and Kor fidgeting with the hole in the side of his ear. Both have bruises to an extent.

"Kor are you ok?!" Sally says as they re-enter the room.

"Yeah...aside from this hole in my ear..." The engineer groaned.

Miles looks down at the blue fox. "For someone as crazy he definitely wasn't as smart. The only reason he gave us trouble was because of those damn guns of his." He says, gesturing to the broken sentry in the room. "Probably should have lured him here earlier so you could deal with him Kor."

"Don't make it sound like I enjoyed it. Who wants to deal with this maniac?!" Kor says, glaring at Miles.

"Valid point." Miles shrugged.

"Ok, now that this problem was taken care of, WHY DID YOU TOSS SONIC BACK INTO MOEBIUS?!" Sally shouts at Miles.

"Sonic is our best bet at beating Scourge, and we sure don't want to be around him when he wakes up." The moebian explained.

"You couldn't just toss Scourge back in then?! It probably would have solved everything!"Sally argued.

"Scourge was too much for us to defeat ourselves, and plus he would've found a way back here somehow!" Alicia countered.

As the two chipmunks continue to argue about the results of the plan, Kor just groans. "We really should get over there and find out what those 2 are doing. Mind helping me get the posts working again Tails?"

"Sure." The kit said. The 2 then try to reactivate the star posts using whatever they could from the damaged control panel.

After a couple minutes of fixing the system, and some protests from Alicia, the 2 finally reactivate the posts.

"Ok, posts are up and running guys." Kor said.

"Alright. We don't know what those 2 are doing, but hopefully Sonic took care of it." Sally says before everyone goes through the portal.

The group enters through a pair of globe posts located in the lab of Anti-Castle Acorn. They walk through the hallways until they arrive at the throne room. However, when they get there, they get an unexpected and shocking surprise. In the throne room, they see Shadow, Metal Sonic, Amy, Silver, Rob O' the Hedge, and Rosy all knocked unconscious.

What is worse, is that they see Scourge in his _Super Form_ holding an unconscious Sonic. "I told you, you are nothing compared to me!" Scourge tell Sonic. He then turns his attention to the Suppression Squad and Freedom Fighters. "Oh good! Fresh meat to soften my knuckles on!"

**A/N: And that's all for now. Was thinking of continuing on but I figured I'd leave this for next chapter. So Scourge managed to obtain his super form eh? I'd hate to be them mobians right now.**


	13. From Bad to Worse

**A/N: Last chapter, Kor managed to defeat his counterpart, and nearly killed him hadn't Nicole stopped him. Now with Theron out of the way, the Freedom Fighters and Suppression Squad cross into Moebius to find out what happened between Sonic and Scourge, and they see the outcome was pretty disasterous. This won't end well.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

Both groups stare in horror as _Super_ Scourge looks at them. "Oh good. Fresh meat to soften my knuckles on!" He says, dropping an unconscious Sonic before descending on them. "So you thought you all could just gang up on me? Thinking you wouldn't suffer what happens when you mess with me?! Well then, get ready to bow to your king!" Scourge proclaims before dashing toward the group.

Before anyone can react, he proceeds to punch and kick everyone in his wake, sending them flying throughout the room. While everyone else is dazed and bruised, the only one who isn't is Miles. Scourge floats to him with an venomous glare. "I know you're the one who ochastrated this whole charade. I had a feeling from the start you'd try to turn on me. After all I've done for you...", he grabs Miles by his shirt, "and this is how you repay me?!"

"I-it's not what you think! T-They put me up to it, I swear! Just please don't kill me!" Miles begged.

"Talk is cheap coming from you. I'm going to make sure this 'mistake' never happened." Scourge says with an evil grin, powering up his fist to possibly knock Miles' head clean off. However, before he can take his revenge, he finds himself surrounded in a blue aura and realizes he can't move. "What the? Why can't I move?!"

"You may be faster, stronger, and invulnerable, but I have psychokinesis!" Silver shouts. He managed to come to just in time to put the brakes on Scourge.

"Huh, not bad. You actually managed to bring me to a full stop." Scourge mused.

Silver smiles. "Heh, thanks I guess."

But then to his shock, Scourge manages to break out of his hold. "But 'invulnerable' means _nothing_ can stop me!" He says before diving toward Silver.

Kor sits himself against a pillar, holding his head from where he was struck. "Ugh...how did this guy even manage to get his super form?..."

Boomer, who was closest to him also manages to shake off the damage he received. "He must've had some Aranchy Beryl stashed in the room somewhere..."

"Anarchy Beryl?" Kor asked.

"They're what you call Chaso Emeralds in your world." Boomer explained.

"Ah..., well that's just great. How are we supposed to stop that?!" The fox looked at Scrouge, who was busy beating on Silver.

At this point, Sonic regains consciousness. It was odd how Shadow, Metal, Silver, and Rob O' the Hedge just popped out of nowhere one by one, or 2 in the latter's case. Then there was Rosy whom Sonic managed to distract from Buns earlier. The moebian's Omega Care Suit was badly damaged thanks to that psycho so she had to head back to Dr. Kintobor, Eggman's opposite, for repairs. There was some confusion as everyone was trying to fight each other but Sonic managed to convince the rest that they take out Scourge first.

Realizing he was now outnumbered, Scourge quickly ran to the throne room where he had some Anarchy Beryl stashed under the throne. After he had gained his super form, he proceeded to beat the tar out of everyone else. "Scourge may be strong in his current form, but there has to be a weakness...what happaned during all the times I went super?..." Sonic said to himself as he recalled old memories of him being in his super form.

However, before he can think on it further, he's grabbed by his metal counterpart. "What the hell Metal?! What part of truce didn't you understand?!"

"Chances of fighting Scourge in his current form register 0% chance of success. Priority one reenabled: Eliminate Sonic the Hedgehog!" Metal says before punching his flesh counterpart away.

The 2 begin a contest of power play, constantly using spin dash to try to get the upper hand on each other. However, this fight is cut short when Shadow decides to step in. He kicks Metal away from Sonic before grabbing the deadly robot. "You and I are going on a long trip..." He says before using Chaos Control. Both of them disappear, to where exactly is unknown. **(But this author knows)**

While that was happening, Rosy uses her hammer in an attempt to smash Scourge. "Oh Scourgey! I love you so much I just want to smash you!" She yells.

Scourge turns and gets hit right on the head several times. In any other case this would have hurt, or probably killed him, but due to his invulnerability he's only mildly annoyed. He grabs Rosy by her neck. "You've been nothing but a pain in my side for _way_ too long Rosy..." He says before throwing her across the room.

She hits the wall hard, knocking her unconscious. Rob O' the Hedge, who came to moments ago, ties her up. "It surprises me that such a fair maiden can be so deadly..." However, he then thinks of Amy. "Then again, tis' a resemblence of her..."

By this point in time everyone else is starting to awaken from their injuries. Sonic notices Miles trying to slip away but quickly intercepts him. "Hold up Miles. You got anymore Anarchy Beryl I can use to fight Scourge?"

"That would be a pointless endevour. We hid the rest of them far away from this place." Miles told him.

"Well how else are we going to take the 'high and mighty king' down?!" Sonic exclaimed.

"I would suggest we lure him back to your world so we can-" Miles says but Sonic cuts him off. "I'm gonna say no to that, cause knowing you, you'll probably leave him back in our world for us to deal with. Also most of the chaos emeralds are out of reach anyway." Sonic says with a glare. Miles just shrugs.

Sally then formulates a plan. "We can try to wear him down long enough for his super form to fade. Silver! Hold in Scourge in place! Bunnie, Kor, and Boomer, you guys bring Scourge down to our level with your weapons. The rest of us, when he's down here, do as much as you can to tire him out!"

Everyone nods and sets to work. Silver focuses and once again holds Scourge in place. "Still haven't learned from earlier huh? Fine by me, I'll just-" The evil hedgehog was cut off as Bunnie, Boomer, and Kor fire at him simultaneously.

He grunts in pain under the force of lasers and sonic pulses. He gets lower to the ground, until finally, "Everyone! Now!" Sally ordered. The rest of the Freedom Fighters and Suppression Squad dog pile on to him. They punch, kick, smash, and do all they can to try to wear Scourge down. Victory seems almost in their grasp.

However, Scourge only grows further irritated. "Enough!" He shouts and blasts everyone off of him. "You think your petty little attacks can stop me?! I'll show you what real power is!" He yells at them, his fists glowing. He repeats his onslaught from before, this time with energy blasts, sending most flying.

The 3 cybernetic welding mobians attempt to wear him down once more by charging up their attacks before firing simultaneously. Unfortunately, Scourge manages to deflect their attacks right back at them. The 3 are blown across the room as a result: Bunnie and Boomer's attacks hitting them in the chest and midsection respectively, while Kor's nails him right in the eyes. "Augh! My eyes!" He screams, holding his face.

Sonic, not willing to give up, bombards Scourge with a series of spin dashes. However, Scourge simply grabs him and throws him outside. A storm was raging all around them. Sonic is lying in a small puddle as Scourge floats over him. "Face it Sonic, you'll never beat me. I'm everything you could've been! With this immense power, I'm going to destroy this world. And once I'm finished here, Mobius is next! Nothing can stop me now!"

However, as Scourge finishes his taunt, he notices Sonic is no longer below him. "Oh great..." He mutters before flying into the forest.

Sonic had run off into the forest while Scourge was monologging. "Good thing I gave that psycho the slip. Let's see, all the times I powered down I felt rejuvenated, but this is Moebius..." Sonic mutters to himself, then he smirks as a he formulates a plan in his head.

A second later, Scourge appears before him and hits him with an energy blast, knocking him down. "So, thought you could be a coward run didn't you?!" However, Sonic just laughs. "What's so funny?!"

"If anyone's the coward it's you! You had to go _super_ just so you could defeat me. You knew you never stood a chance against me, so you had to cheat to win." Sonic taunted, smirking at Scourge.

"I only went super because you and those other hogs decided to gang up on me! I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back, and I'll prove it to you!" Scourge says before powering down. However, as he does, he suddenly feels very weak and falls to the ground. "What...what happened?..."

"Don't you know? This is Anti-Mobius! Whenever I power down from my super form with the emeralds, I get a boost, but since you used the Anarchy Beryl, it drained you of your strength." The Blue Blur said with a chuckle.

Scourge gives a weak growl. "You...cheated me...I'm...king...conquered...this whole planet...You're...nothing..."

At this point, Sonic crushes Scourge's crown, which fell off when he lost his super form, before grabbing him by his jacket. "You're a bully, and that's it. You take the easy, nasty way out, just to get a quick win. Big whoop." He then throws Scourge to the ground. "I do things the right way. I help others to make something bigger and better than just be mean. The good guys always win in the long run. And there isn't anybody who can run longer or better than I can." After that, Sonic grabs Scourge and drags him back to the castle.

At the castle, everyone is recovering from their second assault from Scourge.

"Anyone know where Sonic and Scourge went?..." Tails asks.

"I think I saw Scourge throw Sonic outside. They've been gone for awhile though...I hope Sonic pulls through..." Sally said.

"Me too..." Amy adds.

"Um, you guys may want to get over here!" Bunnie yelled.

The others look over and see her kneeling next to Kor, who still had a hand over his eyes. He was muttering curses to himself though some were directed at Scourge. "Kor? Kor what's wrong?" Sally asks.

"My eyes freaking hurt! Ugh!..." The engineer groaned.

"Kor just calm down. Let me see them." Amy said. Being that Amy had some medical training she was technically the team's nurse. Kor slowly lifted his hand and opened his eyes. What they saw made everyone gasp and cringe.

"...I can't see anything..." Kor said. His eyes had some blood leaking from the tear ducts, they were red all over, and his pupils looked rather grayish and cloudy.

"Ah think he might have been blinded when Scourge send our attacks back at us!" Bunnie told them.

"I swear if I see that baby barf little...ow.." He squinted his eyes abit, causing more irritation.

"Try not to squint so much, you'll hurt your eyes more." Amy told him. Kor just sighed.

At that point Sonic and Scourge came back. "Anyone got a pair of handcuffs?" Sonic said.

"Sonic you did it!" Tails said.

"It took awhile, but it was nothing." Sonic said with a smirk. The Suppression grinned, seeing their plan had succeeded.

Sonic then notices Kor. "What's wrong with Kor?"

"That damn basterd blinded me!" Kor pointed at Scourge. Sonic eyes go wide. S

courge manages to muster the strength to chuckle. "Hail..to the king baby.."

Sonic glares at his evil counterpart. He was about to kick him in his face until a wrench went flying and the blunt end did it for him.

"Did I hit him? I heard his voice and just threw it." Kor asks.

Rotor chuckles. "Yeah, nailed him in the head."

"As funny as that was, Amy, Tails, Rotor, take Kor back to New Mobotropolis to see if he can be treated." Sally ordered. They nod and get Kor to stand. Tails grabs his wrench before they head back through the globe posts.

As they entered the lab, Amy was the first to act. "I'm gonna go find some bandages." Amy says before running out of the lab.

Tails and Rotor sit Kor on one of the tables that wasn't damaged. "Out of curiosity...how bad does it look?" Kor said, opening one of his eyes.

Rotor and Tails cringe at seeing the damage. "Well, to be honest with ya, it's pretty bad. It's all red and your pupil is gray and clouded..." Rotor told him.

"Sorry this happened to you Kor..." Tails said.

"It's fine...I just hope they can be fixed..." Kor sighed.

Not minute later, Amy comes back with a roll of bandages, some tissues, and a wet rag. She cleans the blood off Kor's face and is careful to avoid hurting his eyes more. After that she wraps some bandages around his head to cover his eyes. "Ok that should do it. Tails, think you can take him to see Dr. Quack?"

"Can do! Come on Kor!" Tails grabs his hand before heading outside.

He twists his namesakes into a chopper blade fashion before lifting Kor off the ground. Though he struggled alittle due to Kor's weight, Tails manages to fly quickly back to the city. Amy then noticed Theron, who was still knocked out from earlier. "Um, who is that?"

Rotor looks over. "That's Kor's counterpart Theron. He tried to kill everyone earlier but Kor beat him into submission."

"Well in that case, he's not staying here." Amy said before grabbing the blue fox and tossing him back through the portal.

**A/N: And done! Welp, with Scourge no longer a threat, it's time to focus back on Eggman. But before that, the heroes need to deal with impending issues at home, and Kor's unfortunate circumstances.**


	14. Coping with Blindness

**A/N: Last chapter, the Freedom Fighters and Suppression Squad entered Moebius, only to find Scourge in his super form. While it was a hard fought battle, no one was able to match the evil hedgehog. However, Sonic managed to trick Scourge into powering down from his form, which left him weak due to the cost of using Anarchy Beryl. Then, as everyone was checking their injuries, it was revealed that Kor was worse than everyone else due to his eyes being heavily damaged from his own attack being reflected back at him. How will he overcome this inconvienience, and just how much trouble are the FF in for defying direct orders? Let's watch.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC. The Medic belongs to Valve.**

As Kor and Tails were heading back to New Mobotropolis, Tails decided to strike up a conversation. "Just out of curiosity Kor, you seem to be taking this rather well..."

"Welp Tails, to be frank, I've suffered from much worse than this." Kor said.

"Was this from your old "mercenary" days?" The kit asked.

"Yeah. I'd tell you more about it, but it might...freak you out a bit." Kor mused.

"Considering I've handled Eggman for years, I think I can handle what you can tell me." Tails stated.

Kor shrugs. "Alright, I warned ya though. You ever been shot, burned, blugeoned, stabbed, gibbed, punch to death-"

"Ok ok. Sorry I asked..." Tails said, nearly feeling himself about to empty the contents of his stomach just imagining the scenarios Kor mentioned. He sees the city in his sights. "We're almost there. Won't be long now."

"I just wonder how the others will take it..." Kor said.

Nicole had been making continuous scans on the city ever since the Freedom Fighters and Suppression Squad went to Moebius. Over the past 3 hours she hasn't detected anything, but she soon saw 2 organic signatures approaching from the sky, making her tense. However, after getting visual confirmation she spotted Tails carrying Kor, but she saw Tails had a worried look on his face and Kor was sporting bandages. She exited her database to meet them.

Tails soon landed in the city. Kor only sighed. "Man being blind sucks. Normally I would've killed myself and come back anew but that was a long time ago."

"Kor...wait, come back anew?" Tails asked, confused.

Before Kor could reply, Nicole materialized in front of them. "Hey you 2 what's-oh my processors what happened?!" She said after she got a good look at the red fox.

"Hey Nikki. It's a looooong story..." He said with a sheepish smile. "No time to explain. We need to get him to the hospital!" Tails said before dragging Kor there.

Nicole floated along with them. "How did this happen? Did the Suppression Squad do it?!" Nicole said with a hint of anger in her voice.

"No Nicole. Scourge managed to gain his super form. Everyone tried to stop him but we couldn't do much. At some point he deflected mine, Boomer's and Bunnie's attacks back at us...and mine happened to hit my face..." The engineer said, ears drooping on his head.

"Oh Kor..." Nicole said with sympathy. "There may be something we can do. We just need Dr. Quack to check him out." Tails said as they reached the medical center.

Once there, Dr. Quack immediately saw to them. Being the main physician to the Acorn Family, he was well known by the other citizens as being the best doctor in the city. Kor explained what happened to his eyes and that he couldn't see anything but a gray haze. Quack took a good look at Kor's eyes, which had lost their redness but his pupils maintained their cloudy state. He also took x-rays of them to determine the cause.

"Hmm, according to these, the attack has severely damaged your retinas, hence the cause of your blindness." Quack stated.

"Is there anything you can do doctor?" Tails asked.

"Well, in normal cases of blindness, corrective laser eye surgery would be best.. But..." He said, taking a closer look at the photos. "Buuuuut...?" Kor asked.

"Your retinas have been so damaged that laser surgery likely won't even work. The only way to fix this would be an eye transplant. Unfortunately...I haven't done such a task before. Sure I have replaced organs like hearts and kidneys, but eye transplant requires great attention and carefulness. Any wrong step can leave the person premanently blind." Dr. Quack explained.

"Well that's just swell..." Kor sighed. He really wasn't keen on the idea of being permanently left blind.

"...Could you give them both physical check ups Dr. Quack? They look rather beat up after the fight with Scourge..." Nicole asked.

"Ah, _that_ I can do. Right this way you 2." Quack directed.

Minutes later the yellow and red fox were given full body scans to determine any physical damage, which thankfully there were none too serious. Tails ached a bit but was given some pain pills and was told to rest. With Kor on the other hand, Dr. Quack found something rather intruiging. The foxes were now sitting in hospital beds.

"Um, Mr. Royce. May I ask you a question if you don't mind?" The doctor asked. "Yeah?" Kor said. "There appears to be some sort of metal device in your chest cavity. It looks to be attached to your heart." Dr. Quack explained, looking at Kor's x-rays.

Nicole and Tails both glanced curiously at what the good doctor said before he showed them the picture. Indeed, there was some kind of metal device in the engineer's chest, right where his heart is. "I always wondered what that was...I knew Kor had something in there but was too afraid to ask." Nicole said.

"Well, it's not a metal heart if that's what yer thinkin', but I can tell ya what it is." Kor said as he laid back on his bed. "That device your talking about is an uberfication amplifier. My old friend Klaus, our Medic, had installed them in each of us mercs so our hearts would withstand the electric current sent during an ubercharge."

"Ubercharge?" Asked Quack.

"An ubercharge is a phase activated by the Medic's medigun. It basically allows people like myself to be pretty much invulnerable for a short period of time. However the process takes time to build. Now the medigun on the other hand, was something Klaus designed and built himself. It could heal even the nastiest of gashes and cuts in _seconds_. I even built a healing device in my dispensers based off it. It's not as powerful but it works. However, I don't think even the medigun can heal something like blindness..." Kor explained.

"Hmm, it sounds like your collegue was a fond man of medicine himself." Quack said.

Kor chuckled. "That's part of it. In most cases Doc said his job was, in his own words, 'doctor assisted homicide'. He also lacks a medical license and told us that healing was an unintended side effect of satisfying his own rather morbid curiousity." Kor began to laugh, even though Dr. Quack was a bit put off by how Kor described his friend.

"But, at least Medic meant well. He always kept us alive and in some cases if it weren't for him some of the attacks we've made would've failed." Kor admitted.

"Hmm, so that ubercharge effect...is that when your body glows metallic red and your eyes turn yellow?" Tails asked.

"Yeah, or blue if its the BLU team. I think Heavy and Doc did it a couple times back when Gray was still around...wait a sec..." Kor said, stopping himself mid-thought. The others raised eyebrows at him as he sat up in his bed. "I think Klaus is still here on Mobius. I remember he said he wanted to study the biology of mobians. By now he probably has a good idea of how our bodies function, so he _might_ be able to perform an eye transplant."

"Are you sure Kor? After all you said he didn't have a medical license." Quack pointed out. "Well, did I also mention I was _awake_ when he installed this uber implant?" Kor chuckled.

The other 3 became wide-eyed at that, however they didn't want to question him further on that. The doctor sweatdropped alittle. "Point taken...you know where he might be?"

"If I'm right, he should be where I think he is. Got a phone?" Kor asked.

**-Meanwhile in** **Station Square-**

Klaus Hans Krueger, also known by his friends as the Medic, smiled as he looked at his work. He had just perfected a medigun that could be used in hospitals to treat those with serious injuries. Now, in what would take weeks to heal could be healed within seconds. Of course though he had dumbed down the voltage so it wouldn't kill the patient while in use. Also it only applied to physical injuries, not illnesses. He was still working on something for that.

After Gray had been killed, Klaus was curious about the biology of mobians and how they came about, along with the humans that were around on the planet as well. So, to satisfy his curiousity he stayed on Mobius for the last few months. He chose to stay in Station Square since apparently mobians didn't like humans much, or overlanders as some were called. Currently he works for G.U.N. as one of their top medical officers. Needless to say he ran some experiments that killed a few people, along with one that, yet again, involved a patient losing his skeleton but he managed to keep that from getting around. His celebration was interrupted when the phone in his lab rang.

"Er, hello?" He said with a distinguished German accent.

"How ya doin' Doc?" It was Kor.

"Ah, Herr Engineer! Iz good to be hearing from you again. How 'ave things been going?" Klaus asked.

"Well you know, same old same old, getting into fights for our lives like almost every day. How are things on yer end?" The engineer asked.

"Excellent! I just finished one of my greatest works. Ze healing gun will be put to use in local hospitals, although I'm really curious as to how they'll affect ze humans here." Klaus heard Kor chuckle on the line.

"Heh, still the same old doctor from our battle days eh?" The fox asked.

"Jawohl. Now, vat iz ze reason you have called? Normally you vouldn't have called if it vasn't under abnormal circumstances." The medic mused.

"Well, got into a bit of a fight with Sonic's anti-self and he deflected my attack back at my face...so I'm pretty much blind here and in need of an eye transplant." Kor explained.

"Raah...reminds me of how ze pyro vould airblast thoze rockets at us...but good to zee you are still functioning. Vhere are you now theze dayz? I heard zat Knothole vas burned to ze ground by that damned Eggman." Klaus said with irritation in his voice.

"We're in a city called New Mobotropolis. Me and Nicole built it months back."

"Ze A.I.?" The medic asked in surprise.

"Yeah. There's alot more to her Doc, a lot more." Nicole hinted Kor was talking about her and couldn't help but blush alittle. "Anyway, how's the whole G.U.N. job workin'?"

"It payz vell. Not az much az a mercenary but it's enough. I vill see if I can be zhere in a few dayz. Don't vorry kamerade, I am villing to do vatever it takes! Also I should check on ze condition of your uber amplifier. It might need replazing." Medic told him.

"Alright, thanks Doc. See ya then." Kor said before hanging up. "Doc said he'll be here in a few days."

"Well that's good." Tails said in relief. "But, I wonder if the council will want to speak with us..." The young kit said nervously.

"Yeah...technically we all defied direct orders about dealing with Scourge..." Kor said.

"I will let the council know you both have returned, and I will inform them you aren't in any condition to explain what went on seeing as your..." Nicole paused, trying to find a word without offending him.

"Don't worry about it Nikki. I'm fine, kinda. Besides I think they're more likely to give Sally an ear full since she's the field commander." Kor pointed out.

"True...I'll be off then." Nicole said before disappating.

"So what do we do now?" Tails asked.

"Well Tails you are free to go. Just make sure to take those pain pills and get some rest. Kor, you have to stay here since you are unable to do much without assitance..." Quack said.

"Ah understand doc." Kor agreed. With that, Tails left the room and headed for his house.

**-A few hours later-**

The rest of the Freedom Fighters returned, except for Sonic. He was taking Scourge to a place called the No Zone Prison, and to have a chat with someone called Zonic. They paid a visit to the hospital to see how Kor was holding up, to which he informed them there was already a plan set in motion to fix his eyes. Afterwards, Nicole told Sally she was to head for the castle immediately. She was to be put on trial before the Council of Acorn for treason. To be fair, she knew this was coming. While the Freedom Fighters were _supposed_ to be focusing on Eggman, they defied direct orders to take on Scourge instead. But as they argued before, Scourge was a more present threat than Eggman at the time. However, the Council still thought otherwise.

_"Alright...let's get this over with..."_ Sally thought inwardly.

"The Council of Acorn vs. Sally Acorn is now in session." Elias began. "Sally: do you swear to withhold the truth and tell nothing but the truth?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Ok, now then Ms. Acorn, as the Freedom Fighter's field commander, you have been summoned here under the accusation of defying orders by taking on Scourge the Hedgehog while you were ordered to only focus your attacks on Eggman. Is this true?" Hamlin asked.

"Yes. It was under my command that we did that." Sally agreed.

"We also voted for Sonic to be punished after attempting to take back Freedom HQ despite our orders to leave it be for now. Instead, you 2 went and counter-invaded Moebius after meeting with the king. That's leading me to believe this may be part of a royal conspiracy..." Rosemary pointed out.

Sally shook her head. "That's ridiculous! I made the specifics of Sonic's punishment under my authority as field commander."

"So you're saying it wasn't under your authority as princess?" Hamlin asked.

"No."

"So, does that mean you have no power outside of of being the field commander?" The pig asked again.

"...Yes." Sally said after putting some thought into it.

"So let me get this straight: You made your decision as field leader of the Freedom Fighters-a group that answers _directly_ to the Council of Acorn-yet you gave him orders without our consent. Therefore, you have just admitted to us that you went against direct orders of your superiors!" Hamlin pointed out.

Sally became a bit worried but she didn't show it. Instead she countered his argument. "Yes, Sonic's punishment was ordered by the Council, but the specifics of it were left to _me_. As such, any choice I made would have been approved by you." The chipmunk pointed out.

"The Council wouldn't approve of actions that would undermine our authority." Hamlin countered.

"Well, 2 council members had helped us build new star posts. That seems like obvious support to me." She fired back, folding her arms.

"The star posts were built to go to the Special Zone so you may retreive the Chaos Emeralds, which is still an ongoing mission. Also, those 2 councilors were under your command as the field leader of the Freedom Fighters. Did you have a bigger invasion plan up your sleeve as well?" Hamlin asked.

"No. An opportunity presented itself and we acted. As a result, we've retaken Freedom HQ and prevented a larger invasion from Moebius." Sally finished.

"Hmm...as good as that sounds the ends don't justify the means. If we let you Freedom Fighters just do whatever you want, there wouldn't be much of a reason to have a Council. Not only that, one of your members is currently in the hospital due to losing his sight from your last mission, and as acting field commander that would place you at fault." Hamlin pointed out.

At that moment, Nicole had appeared in the room. "Sorry to interrupt but Kor wishes to say that it wasn't Sally's fault that he's in the situation right now. He says he knew the risks of being a Freedom Fighter and that it was his fault he didn't react quick enough to avoid his current situation. However, he says he has a friend arriving within a few days to help him with this problem, so there's no longer a need to worry about it. Sally's a great leader, but she shouldn't take responsibility for his own injuries." Nicole finished with a smile before dissapating.

At the first they wondered how she kept track of the session but remembered that Nicole was wired to the whole city. With that aside, they continued on. However, Sally knew that she was beaten and sighed in defeat.

"After all things considered...I plead guilty...it was my own decision to act against the Council's orders, but make no mistake I WILL not make that choice again. I won't act or give an order until I have approval from you, even in the heat of battle. You could discount any help from the Chaotix as they are free agents. They aren't in my control so I refuse to give them orders, but you can trust me with the duty I've had my _entire life_..." She told them.

After that, the Council took a moment to consider her actions. After a small debate amongst themselves, they decided to drop the charges held against Sally in a 6 to 1 vote. The 1 being Hamlin who still thought she should be punished. Rotor congradulated Sally for the turn around, and then he questioned when Sonic might return. Sally didn't know the answer to that, but she said she should thank Kor for his concern so she went to the hospital. When she got to his room, the red fox was sitting on his bed strumming a brown six-stringed guitar. He was playing a song she didn't recognize but it seems he knew it by heart. Nicole was also there as well, sitting in a chair.

She opened the door. "Um, sorry if I'm interrupting anything." They both turned in her direction.

"Oh hey Sal. So how'd the trial go?" Kor asked.

"It went over well. The charges against me were dropped. Nicole also popped in to give the message you sent so I decided to stop by to say thanks." She said.

"Well, it's no problem. Kinda mad at Hamlin for getting into you like that, but you shouldn't take the blame for something that's my own fault. It's part of the job right?" The fox stated.

"Very true...So how did you find out what was going on there?" Sally asked.

"Well, I asked Nicole if she could open up a small mic in the room so I could hear what went on. Speaking of which, why was Hamlin pesterin' you?" The engineer asked.

"It's abit of a long story..." Sally said as she grabbed a nearby chair.

"Some time ago I created group known as the Substitute Freedom Fighters. They were to take our place in the event that our group had either been captured or otherwise. They helped on a few occasions but overall didn't see much action. Three of the Council members were part of that group actually, Hamlin being one of them. However, from what he told me, he was usually left behind on several missions, and while he hasn't been able to fight for the people, he would make sure we would do it correctly." She finished.

"Well, I hope that doesn't cause any problems in the future, even though I'm sure it will..." Kor said. Sally nodded in agreement.

"Hey Sally, did we tell you about the eye replacement Kor will have soon?" Nicole asked.

"Yeah. I've heard that an old friend of yours was coming Kor?" Sally said

"Yep. I'd tell you more about it, but I'm abit tired right now..." Kor yawned slightly.

"Alright. We'll leave you be then." Said the princess. Both Sally and Nicole got up and left. Kor placed the guitar on the table next to him, or at least he hoped the table and not the floor, before eventually tuning everything out to fall asleep.

As they walked through the building, Nicole decided to ask a rather personal question. "Um, Sally? Is it alright if I ask something?"

"Sure. On what?"

"Well...i-it's about Kor. You know how during that time I traded places with you for awhile to experience what it felt like to be a living person..and felt your feelings about Sonic?..." Nicole said, not sure how to state what she was going to say next.

"Yes?..." Sally said, becoming confused.

"Well...I think that same feeling might be surfacing again, but this time towards the former mercenary..." Nicole told her.

**A/N: And that's all she wrote. This chapter is certainly longer than the others, but as always I want to leave an interesting cliff hanger. Some would say computers don't have feelings, but obviously they never met Nicole.**


	15. Feelings Revealed and Meet the Medic

**A/N: Time for chapter 15. Last we left off, the rest of the Freedom Fighters returned to New Mobotropolis except for Sonic. He was taking Scourge to the No Zone Jail. Sally was accused for treason but by applying some logic and reasoning she was dismissed of all charges, and Kor set up a plan to get his eyes replaced. However, what no one figured out was what kind of eyes they could replace his with. Sure they could use regular mobian eyes, but let's just say I'll take it a step further. Also, it seems a certain A.I. has grown fond of the former engineer. Let's watch it play out shall we?**

**Also, for those wondering what kind of song Kor was strumming last chapter, it was More Gun from TF2. Meant to say that last time but forgot. If you're a TF2 fan, you'd know it. If you don't, you can find it on youtube.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC. Medic belongs to Valve.**

Sally was initially shocked at what her computer-based friend told her. She didn't think _Nicole_ of all people would actually seem attracted to the somewhat crazed fox. No offense to Kor, but some of his habits can be rather, _off_ to put it lightly. However, given that the 2 had spent the last few months working together, it wouldn't really surprise anyone else if they formed some sort of bond. Plus, another obvious indication was that they spent a good amount of time together even if it wasn't work related.

"Well, given that you both have been working together, rather close might I add, it seems like it would have happened eventually. However, I'm not sure just _how _you see him. Kor can sometimes be rather..." Sally trailed off, looking for word that wouldn't seem offensive.

"Crazy?" Nicole finished.

"Yes. His methods often don't clash well with ours. In fact, I've seen how he fights when Gray was still alive. He often acted crazy when shooting robots to bits, but then again so did the rest of his friends. If fighting his counterpart was any indication it seems he has a side to him he doesn't want to show now..." Sally explained.

"I'm aware of that...he was about to kill Theron but I managed to get him to stop. He also apologized to me about seeing that...I know he can be crazy at times but he has a kind and soft side to him that's starting to make my processors heat up the more I think about it. I wish I understand this affection more so I'd know how I felt..." Nicole finished sullenly.

"Well Nicole, love is a complicated emotion. There's not much to understand but most times you just act." Sally said.

"Much like how you and Sonic went about it?" The A.I. said teasingly.

"...Somewhat like that." Sally said, remembered their broken relationship. Even though they weren't officially together anymore, part of her still pined for the blue blur.

"...You think he might feel the same about me? I mean...if we do end up together how will it work? I'm an advanced A.I. and he's a full mobian..." Nicole asked after some thought. By now they were outside. The sun was starting to set, giving the sky a warm orange glow.

"Well Nicole, only thing I can tell you is that love sometimes finds a way. Back with me and Sonic, sometimes I questioned why we were even a couple, and yet, something about him kept me to him, as him to me. Not everything will have an answer. Plus, if it helps, he does call you by your nickname at times." Sally said.

"True." The A.I. said with a smile.

"Speaking of which, what were you two doing before I came in?" Sally asked.

"After I came back from delivering his message, I wanted to ask him something..." Nicole began.

**-45 minutes earlier-**

Nicole re-materialized back into Kor's hospital room. "Message sent. Want me to send another?"

"Nah, that's fine. Seems like they're just finishing." Kor said.

Nicole thought back to what Kor was telling her before Miles had interrupted them. "Kor? Earlier you said something about a system called 'respawn'. I'm curious as to what that actually is."

"Welp, it's abit of a long story so you might wanna sit down for this." He heard Nicole pulling up a chair a second later.

He sat up in his bed. "To be honest, I really shouldn't be alive right now...first time I died was about 4 years back when I first became an engineer for RED, but main reason I'm alive is because of that system. You see, Respawn is a system in which, if you were to die, the system would make you a new body with all your memories intact, including how you died. In order for it to work, the system needs a DNA sample from you so it can create a new you. Most commonly we used hair and blood samples as that's usually enough. Once the system recognizes you, it uses that DNA to create body tissues and nerve systems to go from there, almost like how babies are formed in expecting mothers. It takes about a couple minutes to create a new body before it places the memory of your previous body into it. Then, it teleports the newly made you into one of the resupply rooms of either team. Of course, you'll still ache on the area that caused your death but otherwise you'll be fine. From what I learned, the more you die, the faster you end up being respawned."

"Um...just how many times did you...die?" Nicole asked, feeling uneasy.

"More than I can count...probably over 1000 times since I was killed multiple times on a daily basis." Kor shrugged.

Needless to say, Nicole was baffled by what he just told her. That might explain why he was rather relaxed about it. Even if he died, he'd just come back and kill whoever killed him and vice versa. It started to make her uncomfortable. "I-I see...d-did you ever fear of not respawning?"

"Yeah...both teams did, which is why the system was always kept up to date. Any time the system went down, no one wanted to fight for fear of that person not coming back. One time the system went down whilst a daily fight. A few were dead already and everyone refused to fight one another during that time. We all feared the guys dead wouldn't come back...but thankfully the system was restored and they came back within a few minutes. Everyone on both teams may have killed each other for a living, but we did it because we knew that person wouldn't be truly dead. We couldn't bear taking the life of someone permanently...unless they deserved it..." Kor finished, thinking about his dead foe.

Nicole smiled. Even though Kor was technically less sane than the rest of the Freedom Fighters, he still cared about the others and wanted to protect them. "I understand your point. But...what about your counterpart? You nearly ended him..."

Kor looked down. "I think I was just in the middle of the moment there...sometimes I forget that I'm not on a RED or BLU base...but he threatened to kill everyone else..."

"So I'm guessing Gray deserved that fate?" The A.I. inquired.

"He killed our bosses, fired us and tried to kill _us_ too but failed. I'm pretty sure no other place would hire us psychos and given that he tried to take our lives, he earned his place in hell..." Kor said with spite.

Seeing Kor upset, Nicole didn't want to press that further. "Sorry I asked that..."

"It's fine. You were just curious is all." The engineer replied.

"...You said respawn could help me get a real body. How would that work?" Nicole asked.

Kor scratched his head in thought. "Well, in order for it to work I would need blood and hair samples for it to begin replication. So, I would need samples from several lynxes. Also, I think it's possible to edit the body structure so it can appear as you do now. Thing is...nothing like that has been done before but it's possible it might work. I'd have to think more into how it _will_ work..."

"...You...you would really do something like that for me?" Nicole said, surprised at the opportunity presented to her.

"Heck yes! I may be blind right now but I've seen how you strived to be 'alive.' It was why you made your holographic form right?" Kor said.

"Yes. Yes it has...as I said before, ever since I had experienced having a body using Sally's...I've felt rather incomplete with myself...it's hard enough understanding emotions sometimes as it is, and I've felt that being a real mobian would help me be closer to everyone else. It's why we built many holo-matricies around the city so I could maintain this form, to work along side everyone else...but even then I can only hold it for so long if something happens to the city..." Nicole explained.

Kor nodded his head in agreement. "Well Nikki, I'll promise you this. When we finally have the time to, you won't be able to worry about holding your form anymore. I WILL do what I can to help you reach that dream. I've told you that earlier as well." Kor said with a smirk.

Nicole smiled and laughed a bit. "You know, for someone who calls himself a psycho, you know how to get me to smile..." She said.

"Don't I normally do?" The fox said teasingly. "Speaking of which, I know a couple songs actually. Want to hear 'em?"

"Sure."

"Great. Uh...mind getting my guitar from my house?" The fox asked.

**-Present Time-**

"So he said he'd make you a new body with the system he described? Would that even work?" Sally asked.

"He isn't sure himself, but he said he would try. I think maybe if he showed Rotor the system he could help too." Nicole told her.

Sally smiled a bit. "Well, he may have not said it yet, but I think he's getting attracted to you already. No one's made a promise like that before, and given his history, it might work." Sally sad with a smirk.

"I-I guess so." Nicole said, a small blush pixelating on her cheeks. "And I think I know how to help him with his current issue." She said, smiling.

Sally raises an eyebrow. "How?"

"Since Kor will be getting his eyes replaced soon, I noticed we haven't talked about what to replace them with. Everyone assumes it's just another pair of regular eyes, but if they get damaged as well they'll need to be replaced again. So instead of organic eyes, I'm going to make a pair of cybernetic eyes so if they get damaged I can easily fix them, with some extras..." Nicole said with a smirk.

Sally clasped her hands together. "That's brillant Nicole! But, do you know how to construct an eye? You'd have to make the optics, retinas, nerves to connect to the brain..."

"I do Sally. I've studied mobian biology enough, and while talking with Kor, I was secretly measuring the dimensions of his eyes. Also, I can have Rotor help me." She said to the chipmunk.

"Well, alright then. Should we tell Kor about it?"

"Hmmm...no. I want it to be a surprise." Nicole smiled.

**-3 Days Later-**

Klaus smiled as the G.U.N. transport landed at the New Mobotropolis airport in the morning hours. Finally, he could put his skills to use. It's been awhile since he last performed an operation on any of his former friends, but now he was just glad he could be out of the lab. Being stuck in there for hours really drained the man's mental strength sometimes. He had his medigun kit ready incase any problems arose while he was operating on Kor. He also received a note from Rotor on what kind of eyes he would put into Kor. His smile that day grew since he wanted to see what kind of effect it would have on the engineer. Good thing he had some experience with installing cybernetics if the uber hearts was any indication. As he stepped out he was greeted by Sally and Sonic. Sonic arrived back yesterday and assured everyone that Scourge won't be a problem anymore.

"Hey there Doc. Long time no see!" Sonic said.

"Ah, Sonic ze Hedgehog and Ms. Sally Acorn. It haz been months zince we last met. How 'ave thingz been?" Klaus asked.

"Well, it's been touch and go with recovering from our last mission and planning to take down Eggman." Sally said.

"Ooo! And vat vould zat be?"

"Can't tell ya til later Doc. Now come on, the other doctors are waiting for you." Sonic said before he and Sally led the human to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Nicole and Rotor were finishing the final touches to a pair of cybernetic eyes. They were your average mobian eyes, even with the sclera (the white part of the eye) being a metallic white instead of black like you would see on a robot such as Metal Sonic. Nicole made this part so Kor wouldn't feel weird with his eyes being a different color. The eyes had blue wires that would resemble veins running from the back half along a nerve cable that was to be connected to Kor's brain. They wires were also slightly visible within the sclera itself.

On the inside is where it gets more technical. Thin yellow wires made up the retinas to help the pupil take in light and transmit this down the optic nerve to the brain. The lens were what you would expect with someone with 20/20 vision, but Nicole took it a step further. The lens could change color to activate certain views, such as night vision and thermal vision. They could also open up more to let the user see far away objects more clearly. She added these in after remembering how Hornet's eyes were built. Along with the eyes was another small cable with a USB port. Nicole theorized that if Kor's eyes were to be fixed at any point, she would enter them to correct the damage. It's also how she tested them to see if they work. Right now she was inside them, finishing optimizing the nerve system.

The only thing they needed was conjunctiva, or tissue that surrounds the eye so it wouldn't irritate the engineer. However, Klaus said he would take care of that.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me with this Rotor." Nicole said.

"Ah it's nothing. It's what us Freedom Fighters do." Rotor replied with a smile. "I'm still happy we managed to get these finished in time. Are you finished tweaking them?"

"Yep." She said before exiting the eyes and entering the city mainframe. Rotor put the eyes in a special container to preserve them before they headed for the hospital.

When they arrived, the other Freedom Fighters and Chaotix were there. They were all sitting in the waiting room just outside the doors to the operating room. "Attention everyone! These eyes are now ready to be put to use!" Rotor announced.

"I didn't think they'd be ready by now. How long did you guys work?" Tails asked.

"Two days without any sleep to be honest. Since I'm a computer I don't tire out, though Rotor could use a nap." Nicole said.

To prove her point, Rotor yawned in agreement. "Well you can rest while we wait. How long is Kor supposed to be in there?" Knuckles asked.

"For a couple of hours I heard. I hope that overlander knows what he's doing." Julie-Su said.

"Well, Kor had called him in for this reason. Ah think he knows his business." Bunnie pointed out.

"Are they in there now?" Nicole asked. "Yeah. They're waiting for you 2." Mighty said.

"I'll take them in. You get some well-needed rest Rotor." Nicole said before taking the container from him.

She walked in and saw an overlander whom she assumed was the Medic, along with a few other doctors, and Kor, who was lying on the table. He was hoisting his medigun up to the ceiling while explaining to Dr. Quack how the medical tool was used.

"Excuse me Mr. Medic. Here are the eyes!" She said with a smile.

Medic and Dr. Quack looked inside the container and saw them. "Ah, perfect. These vill vork vonderfully. Now please leave frauline. Ve have science to work on!" He said with joy.

"You sure you know what yer doin' Doc?" Kor asked. "Don't vorry schweinehunde, zis von't hurt a bit." The medic said.

Nicole left just as Kor was given anesthetics to be put under.

**-2 hours later-**

Kor groaned abit as the anesthetics were wearing off. "Ugh. I ever tell you I hate bein' put under sometimes?..." He said to no one in particular as he opened his eyes. To his surprise and delight, he could see everything clear as day again. No longer was he hindered by his damaged eyes. "Well I'll be. I can see again!"

"Relax dummkopf, I'm not finished yet." Medic said.

"Uh..." Kor looked down and saw his chest cavity opened. He noticed his heart was missing but a constant healing beam was keeping him alive. "Doc what are you doin?"

"Remember how I said ze uber device might need replacing? I vas right. It has shorted out over its life span." The man held the device to Kor, which was still attached to his heart. Aside from being covered in blood it definitely looked like it ceased to work.

"Guess I've been carryin' dead metal this whole time." Kor said.

"Shouldn't he still be asleep for this Klaus?" Dr. Quack asked.

"Oh relax. I've done zis before. I even did it on myself as well." Medic chuckled.

The other doctors were shocked to say the least. Medic removed the device and threw it away before taking out a new one. "Now, most heart's couldn't vithstand this voltage, but I'm very certain yours vill." The man said as he attached it and held it near the healing beam.

Unfortunately, the electric current was too great, causing the heart to explode. It made a loud popping sound that woke the group in the waiting room, as well as spraying blood on Klaus.

"What was that?" Antoine asked. "Sounds like it came from the operating room." Vector said.

Curiously, the group poked their heads in. "I hope you got a spare Doc..." Kor said in a deadpanned voice.

"Hey! He's awake!" Charmy said before rushing in. "Charmy! Get back here you idiot!" Vector yelled.

The doctors were surprised at the hyperactive bee's appearance before he started asking Kor a ton of questions. "Can you see anything now? How come you're chest is cut open? Is that what we all look like inside-" Espio put a hand over his mouth before he could go any further.

"Sorry to interrupt. Shouldn't Kor still be asleep right now?" The chameleon asked.

"Vell, yes, but it's fine. I only needed him out so I could install his new eyes." Klaus said. "You can vatch if you vant." He said before finding a replacement heart, abeit one a bit bigger than Kor's original one.

The Chaotix and Freedom Fighters were a bit disgusted by this but, curiosity got the better of them and wanted to see how it would turn out. However, Charmy, Saffron, and Ray had to have their eyes covered lest they get nightmares about it.

"Now vhere vas I? Ah yes." Medic said as he attached the uber amplifier to the heart. He placed it near the healing beam once more. This time, the heart didn't explode and it was begining to beat on its own. "Come on..." He with a wicked smile as the heart beat faster and started to glow metallic red. He also started to laugh crazily, creeping out everyone besides Kor.

Soon it became to bright to look at before it died down, revealing an ubercharged heart. "Vell, that looks good." Kalus said before dropping on Kor's chest cavity.

"I really wish I was still asleep right now." Kor stated.

" Yes vell, since you're awake can you hold your ribcage open a bit? I can't...seem..."Medic said as he tried to push the heart back into place.

Kor held his ribcage open a little wider, but then screamed in pain as it went in. He then realized he accidentally broke one of his rib bones off, again. This happened the first time these things were installed. "Well that's just great..." He said before tossing it away.

"Don't very, ribs grow back." Klaus said, pinching the fox's cheek. "No they don't..." Dr. Quack whispered. "I know but he doesn't need to know zat..." Medic whispered back.

Then, he grabbed the medigun and held it close to Kor's chest cavity. He powered it up and everyone watched in amazement as the skin, muscle, and bones molded back into place before closing fully. Kor breathed a deep sigh in relief, though his chest hurt a little.

"Amazing! Normally it would take an additional hour to close an opening like that, but this device makes it only seconds?" One of the other doctors asked.

"Yes. I 'ave finished making preparations for some to be distributed in hospitals in Station Square as vell." Klaus proclaimed.

"Is it possible to lend us a few Klaus? It would severely cut down on time needed to close wounds." Dr. Quack asked.

"Is suppose I could. Just remember zat they can only fix damaged tissue and bones. Organs still need to be replaced." Medic said.

Kor stretched a bit before getting off the table.

"So how do you feel Mr. Fix it?" Sonic asked.

"A whole lot better. I can actually see more clearly than with my previous eyes. What did you replace them with?"

"Cybernetics." Both Rotor and Nicole said.

Kor looked at them both. "Wait...so that means you two..."

"Yep. We built cybernetic eyes for you so in case your eyes are damaged again, they'd be easy to fix. And you can thank our A.I. here! She's the one who though of it." Rotor said. Nicole blushed a bit but smiled.

Kor smiled back as Medic handed him a mirror. He could his eyes had some notable features on them that would let one know they're robotics, but from a far away glance they'd appear as normal eyes. "They're perfect...thanks a bunch Nikki."

**A/N: And that's enough for now. With Kor's ailment cured, the two groups can now shift focus back to Eggman. But, needless to say, the good doctor will be ready for them.**


	16. Taking the Fight to the Enemy Pt 1

**A/N: Time for chapter 16. Last time you've read, Kor finally had his eyes fixed, and with that said and done, the Freedom Fighters can put their focus back on Eggman. However, it won't be easy, given how much time Eggman had between attacks.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

"So is there anything else about these eyes I should know?" Kor asked Nicole shortly after being discharged from the hospital. Everyone else went to the Royal Army HQ for an important meeting, except for Klaus. He had departed for Station Square.

"I added two different views that would allow you to see in darkness as well as heat signatures." Nicole stated.

"So night vision and thermal vision?" The engineer asked.

"Yes. Given your personality, I thought it might be helpful to you." The A.I. smiled. "Of course, Rotor asked me if that was a bit much, but I didn't think so."

"Well I'll tell you it can come in handy if we ever need to pull off a night mission or in fog." Kor said.

"Oh, and your lens can enlongate to allow you to see far away objects." Nicole noted.

"You sure I might need something like that?" The engineer asked. He wasn't much of a long range shooter.

Nicole just shrugged."You could double as a scout sometimes."

"True. I'm gonna go back to my house for a minute, then go meet the others to discuss our plan of attack."

"Alright. Take care Kor." Nicole said before dissapating.

**-Meanwhile: Eggdome, New Megaopolis-**

Snively Robotnik was sitting in his office, currently chatting with someone on a private line through his computer. Despite the loss of the crucial communications tower, the Eggdome had a system called the Egg Network that could still reach the other continents. "Ah Regina dear. How have things been going in the Dragon Kingdom?"

"The Four Houses have willingly submitted to our rule. Unfortunately I had to make an example of the Yagyu bride so they would follow without question, but at least they know their place now. Also, a certain pest has been driven out as well. How are things with your so called 'uncle'?" The woman known as 'Regina' asked.

"His past defeats have been gnawing at his psyche for awhile now. It's only a matter of time before he loses himself to his own insanity." Snively said.

Before he could press any further, Eggman called him via intercom."Colin! Come to the lab at once!"

Snively sighed. "Coming uncle...sorry deary but the fat one needs me...I'll be in touch." He said before closing the comm. line.

For those who didn't know, Regina was known as Regina Ferrum, or the Iron Queen. She was orginally a Sub-Boss in the Dragon kingdom working for Eggman, until she had the means to make her own army. She, along with the Iron King, formed a large scale force called the Iron Dominion. This group consisted of four previously warring clans that had submitted to the dominion's rule, and later helped wipe out the Freedom Fighter groups in the Dragon Kingdom. Other Freedom Fighters have yet to know about this, but the Iron Dominion will become a huge threat in the near future.

_"Hmm, Uncle Robotnik hasn't called me by my birth name for a long time. He must be losing his grip faster than I anticipated...Oh well, at least Regina may be able to put her plan into action much sooner."_ Snively thought to himself with a grin as he walked into the lab.

"Snively! Get behind the blast shield! I need you to monitor the readings of my newest creation." Eggman said. The evil dictator himself was sitting in a large bird like contraption that closely resembled a phoenix. Snively couldn't helpbut chuckle.

"And just what is that thing supposed to be uncle? A new talking bird of yours? Maybe we should give it that saying 'Does Polly want a-'" He was cut off a large flame attack was blasted at the shield. Snively screamed as the flames licked the face of the shield, yet he could still feel the instense heat the robot's burners gave out.

"Now that you've stopped your incessant rambling, what are the readings like?" Eggman asked.

"T-there well above your expectations s-sir!"

Eggman smiled evilly. "Excellent. The Egg Phoenix is now ready..."

**-New Mobotropolis: Royal Army HQ-**

While Eggman was preparing his latest weapon, both the Freedom FIghters and Chaotix were discussing their battle strategy.

"Ok everyone, the day is near. Now that we don't have any more issues to deal with, it's time to take the fight back to Eggman!" Sally exclaimed, prompting the others to cheer. "However, it won't be easy. Since Scourge distracted us Eggman had time to build up some defenses, and he still has the part of the Dark Legion under his command..."

"We can handle the Legion. Although they can be formidable in numbers, with us together they shouldn't be too much trouble." Knuckles said. Although he was still upset about fighting his own kind, he knew he had no choice in the matter. Maybe Eggman's defeat would help them see the error of their ways.

"Well that's one thing, but what about those extra arms he probably has?" Sonic asked.

"Well, that's where Kor comes in." Sally said, causing Kor to raise an eyebrow. "Anything that could be deadly to us can be handled by your robot correct?"

"OH. Yeah, it should be able to handle it. Hornet can pick out targets from a distance before firing. Given that Eggman probably has some AA stashed around I'll have it take those out first." Kor said.

"You better not have it fire on the Dark Legion buddy..." Knuckles said darkly.

"Don't worry pardner. I won't have it kill them, I know how you guys are on that issue. At most I'll have it fire warning shots just to push them back." Kor said assuringly.

"Right. Once the Dark Legion is subdued, we'll push into the Eggdome and take down Eggman once and for all!" Sally finished, causing everyone else to cheer once more.

Afterwards, all of them began making necessary preparations for the mission. Sally and Sonic went to consult the Council to begin the mission, which was unanimously approved, Antoine was sharpening his sword while Bunnie was checking her cybernetics, and Tails was at his house gathering some stuff. Shortly after the Council's vote, Rotor was prepping a transportation vehicle. With the Chaotix, Mighty and Knuckles were sparring against each other, Ray was watching them, Espio was meditating, Julie-Su was chatting with Saffron and Charmy was bugging Vector with unimportant questions. Even Nicole was getting herself ready. She was going to broadcast the mission to the whole city via jumbo-trons in the city's arean through her PDA.

Kor himself headed straight for the airport to tell his Hornet the good news. He felt rather sorry for the poor thing. Ever since he and Nicole built the drone, it had seen little combat to the point its existence was called into question. Kor remembers back when the Council asked him about the robot's purpose at this point since most of the badnik army was destroyed thanks to Enerjak. However, Kor assured them it could still provide close support and even as a transport since it was big enough, but he knew the gunship wanted to shit fire at something for a long time, as it was built for. Maybe now this would be the time it could prove itself.

"Good news Killer! You finally get to shoot at something!" The robot nearly hit the ceiling as it jumped for joy. "Easy there pardner. Just gotta load up your weapons and make sure everythin's still workin' properly. I don't like the fact you had to sit in here all the time but there wasn't much use for you...til now that is." Kor grinned.

Getting more weapons wasn't an issue, as Kor made a dispenser capable of producing them well before Scourge came to town. Said dispenser was also used to maintain the sentry batteries around the city. After he finished loading the drone, he strapped on a pair of black goggles and a black glove that fit his organic hand. He then walked over to another table that he had hidden from site so no one would notice it upon entry. Sitting on it was a rocket launcher that back in its day was known as a Direct Hit. It fired rather fast rockets but lacked sufficient splash damage. You had to be within 3 feet of the rocket to feel the splash. However, since Kor had newer eyes this wouldn't be a problem.

Course, now one would wonder how an engineer would even wield a weapon like that, but Kor had asked Soldier to show him how to use it a year ago. One simple trip to the Mann Co. store was all it took to acquire one. The red fox lifted it up and mounted it on his shoulder. It was a little heavy but not too much to be unusable.

"The others are gonna flip when they see me with this, but one way or another, we're gonna end this damn war." He said before stowing it away. He then strapped on his old toolbelt before heading out.

Minutes later, the drone lifted itself into the air with Kor riding on its head. It flew to the outside wall where everyone else was waiting. "So you guys ready?!" Kor yelled over the noise.

"You bet! Let's go crack that Egghead!" Sonic said and sped off.

Most of the others rode in the large off-road vehicle that Rotor was currently driving while those who could fly soared along side it. The heroes were confident that this time, they could finally beat Eggman and bring him to justice, and no shred of doubt was found in their minds.

**-Half an hour later-**

The Hornet flew low over the forest to avoid being spotted by radar. Even though most of New Megaopolis was destroyed during Enerjak's rampage, the Eggdome still boasted strong defenses. Kor jumped off while Tails caught him.

"We're close to the city. I hope that drone will be ok." Tails said.

"Don't worry, it was built to take some hits. Plus, it's going to open up a path for us." Kor replied.

The gunship flew closer to the city, its radar constantly scanning for threats. It soon picked up anti-air placements and some hidden automatic guns near the Eggdome. Everyone watches as it hovers for moment, locking up the targets, before opening fire with its missiles.

The missiles strike various positions, causing others to fire at the robot itself. It dodges before getting close to fire its rockets and gun. While it's preoccupied with this, the heroes charge through the ruined city. They then notice Dark Egg Legion troops approaching.

"Freedom Fighters! Clear them out!" Sally orders.

Both sides clash, the D.E.L. firing their weapons at the Freedom Fighters yet they manage to subdue a good number of the battalion.

Lien-Da is watching the battle from her hoverpod. She grins that the heroes have stopped advancing but she's also keeping an eye on the drone blasting at the defenses. "Get the anti-air lasers ready, and shoot that nuisance down." She ordered to a few soldiers.

"Ma'am, the Freedom Fighters are pinned over that ridge." A legionnaire tells her.

"Good. If we can keep them back that'll make them think twice before-" Lien-Da lost her train of thought as she looks back on the field. To her shock, she sees that the Chaotix have flanked the attacking troops and are currently forcing them back.

_"Oh great...the Chaotix were enough trouble, but with both them and the Freedom Fighters we won't stand a chance..." _The cyborg says to herself. "All soldiers within the Eggdome, we need backup. Repeat: we need backup-" She gets cut off as her hoverpod suddenly explodes from under her.

Sonic uncurls feet away from her as Lien-Da lands roughly on the ground. "Sorry to cut your call short but we don't need any more trouble from you guys."

The echinda glares at the hedgehog. "You'll pay for this you blue menace!" She says, uncurling her whip before cracking it at the blue blur.

"Ow! Geez watch where you swing that! You could really hurt someone." Sonic says as he dodges more lashes from the whip.

As Lien-Da readies another strike, her whip is suddenly cut in half. "A lady such az yourself should not be handling such a tool." Antoine says, sword at the ready.

"You Freedom Fighters will get what's coming to you. Just you wait...for now I'll relent." Lien-Da says before retreating with other legionnaires while still calling for support.

"I doubt she can back up what she says. At this point she's just spouting hot air." Sonic says with a smirk. "Oui." Antoine agrees.

Elsewhere among the ruins, Sally is watching the progress of the battle when Charmy flies up to her. "Ms. Sally! All of our enemies are running away!"

"Alright. That should give us time for the next part of our plan." She then gets a call from Tails. "Hey Aunt Sally. I finished earlier than expected. What should I do now?"

"Go and meet with the others. I'll be right there." Sally told him.

Next, Kor called her. "Hey Sal. Hornet's taken a little damage but it cleaned up whatever automatic defenses were around. Also some of them legionnaires tried shooting it down but it sent them screamin'. Want me to let it continue chasin' 'em?"

"No. Let them go and fall back for now." Sally ordered.

"Alright." Kor says before ending the call. After that, Sally and Charmy head a section of the ruins where the others are waiting.

However, the Dark Egg Legion wasn't finished yet. Lien-Da has the troops surround the heroes from several positions among the ruins. "You think you've won this battle, but it isn't over yet! All troops! On my mark!" The legionnaires ready their guns. "Fire!" She exclaimes. However, just as they do, they realize none of their weapons are working. "What?! What's going on?!"

"Did you think we would let ourselves be surrounded without a plan? We've had some neutralizing mines laid out across this area, so your weapons are now ineffective. With that said, are you willing to surrender or do we need to convince you?" Sally says to Lien-Da.

Just then, a ball of fire erupts from the top of the Eggdome. "What the hell is that?..." Kor asks.

"Wish I knew Kor. Wish I knew.." Bunnie says.

The fire disappears to reveal Eggman's newest creation: The Egg Phoenix. "You know what they say Freedom Fighters?", says Eggman, who is piloting the mech, "If you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen!"

It dives down at everyone, sending a violent torrent of fire. This causes everyone to scatter, including the D.E.L. who is in full retreat again. "How do we stop something that big?!" Charmy screams.

The heroes try to meet together to formulate a plan, but the fire bird keeps spraying fire everywhere. The intense heat causes some of the metal in the area to begin melting.

"I know I've heard of pyrotechnics but this is ridiculous!" Sonic shouts.

"Don't worry I'll distract it. Hornet! Shoot down that flying turkey!" Kor shouts.

The gunship complies and fires a few missiles at the bird. Unfortunately, Eggman just burns the missiles down when they get close. He then sends a torrent of flame at the robot. It dodges to the side and retaliates with its main gun. As the two bots spit fire at each other, this gives the others time to formulate a plan.

"Ok so anyone got a plan? Not sure if my robot can stand getting burned..." Kor tells them.

"I'm thinking of one...that's it! Tails, do you still have some neutralizing mines left?" Sally asks the kit.

"Just a few."

"That should be enough. Now here's the plan..." Said the princess.

A few minutes pass and Eggman is growing steadily infuriated. While he managed to block the gunship's rockets and missiles, the bullets were eating into the phoenix's armor. "That blasted insect will make a nice addition to my wall..." He says before shooting another burst of flame.

This hits the drone, the heat making the paint begin to peel off and causing it to nearly overheat. The gunship then retreats, not wanting to take another attack. Smiling to himself, Eggman than focuses back on the heroes. "Where are you Freedom Nuisances?! I promise this will only hurt A LOT!" He laughs into the mic.

Suddenly, Sonic runs out into the middle of the open. "Nice fireworks Eggman, but your Egg Sparkler hasn't hit me yet!"

"Grrr! I'll show you rodent!" The doctor dives toward the hedgehog, who gets tossed up into the air by Vector, with Knuckles, Tails, and Bunnie tossing him higher.

Kor's robot then swoops in, to which Sonic grabs one of its legs and it carries him higher. At this point Eggman is following them in a straight vertical climb. "Hey Egghead! You know what happens when a plane flys in a straight climb for too long?" Sonic taunts him.

Eggman then realizes his mistake, but before he can correct it, the phoenix stalls. As it plummets to the ground, Eggman desparately tries to pull the nose up. Unfortunately for him, when he gets close enough Ray, Charmy, and Saffron plant a few neutralizing mines onto the plane, to which Tails activates them. The bird becomes completely unresponsive, causing it to make a rough landing on its belly.

An enraged Eggman floats away from the wreckage in his egg pod, just as the plane explodes. "Mark my words Sonic! You _will_ pay for this!" He yells, retreating to the Eggdome.

Sonic regroups with the others as the Hornet lands near the group. "Chalk up another loss for ol' eggy. Nice plan Sal."

"Thanks." She smiles.

"So what do we do now? Seems to be getting late." Vector says.

"Well, given that our enemies have retreated and I doubt they'd make an attack any time soon with the mines laid, seems like a good idea to camp out for the night." Sally said.

Knuckles shrugs. "Fine by me, but I think I'll keep watch incase they try to attack us in our sleep."

"You sure you can handle something like that Knuckles?" Kor asked.

"I've guarded the Master Emerald for weeks at a time without sleep. I can handle one night shift." The guardian replied. The others gave voices of approval before going about to set up camp. Hopefully, the night would go on without any problems.

**A/N: And that's chapter 16. The heroes have successfully invaded the Eggman Empire and are ever closer to defeating Eggman. Will the heroes actually prevail this time? Or will it just be another tug-o-war power struggle? Knowing that Eggman has his back to the wall, no doubt he'll do what he can to prevent his defeat. **

**Also, I thought of a song for the gunship when it's attacking foes and found one that would suit it well. It's called South America Action from the game Apache Air Assault. I would post the link but for some reason whenever I save it the first half of the link disappears.**


	17. Taking the Fight to the Enemy Pt 2

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in the next chapter. Had been working on more important stuff and didn't have much inspiration to write the next one. However, I did have two ideas come in mind, which I'll tell after this chapter is over. With the heroes having driven off Eggman's forces, it's only a matter of time before they collapse.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega except my OC.**

"Hey Tails, got a question for ya." Kor spoke.

"Yeah?"

"You know how those mines disabled the Dark Legion's weapons? If it can knock out guns and even Eggman's flyer, how come Hornet is still active? And along with that, how are my eyes still working?" The engineer asked.

"Well, I designed them to be able to knock out simple weapons like guns as you stated, so they wouldn't knock out your cybernetics unless you touched it. In the case of Eggman's Phoenix, they have to be attached to a large mech for them to work." Tails explained.

"Ah. So basically right now mine and Bunnie's lasers don't work right now?"

"Well, yes...but the Dark Legion can't get close enough to us due the wide radius the mines have. Oh, and your marshmellow is burning." Tails warned him. The red fox cursed to himself before blowing out the treat.

After the Legion retreated, the heroes had set up camp among some of the debris scattered in the area. Charmy thought it would be a good idea to bring snacks in case they had to camp out for the night, which wasn't a bad idea. Currently everyone was sitting around a fire pit chatting amongst themselves. The gunship was sitting close by, surveying the area. The heroes could also faintly hear the beeping of a few sentries sitting outside the mine's radius. Kor set them up so Knuckles wouldn't have to pull night duty.

"Hey Sally, mind me askin' on what we'll be doing tomorrow?" Kor asked as he ate his burnt snack.

"Tomorrow, we're going to make an opening into Eggman's Headquaters and clear out the place. No doubt they'll be waiting for us...I'm actually surprised they haven't tried an attack already." Sally said.

"Given how easily we ran them off, they must be scraping the bottom of the barrel right now." Julie-Su chimed.

Sonic swallowed his smore before adding in. "Yep. Ol' Eggy has his back against the wall. Everytime he threw us for a loop we always managed to bounce back and he's also made comebacks too. But this time, _he's _the one going down for good." He finished.

"After everything that crazed dictator did, it'd be nice to finally see him behind bars." Espio said.

"I hear that! Can't wait til we crack that rotten egg!" Vector cheered.

"Hey Kor, got a question that's been on mah mind for awhile." Bunnie said, making Kor look at her. "You mention yer 'old days' occasionally, yet you don't look that much older than us."

"Well, to be honest I'm 22, ain't that much older than Scout, and he's 20." The engineer told her. "What about you guys?"

"18" "20" "17" "16" 6!" "11", came the various responses, though Kor gave Amy a weird glance. She looked closer to 17 than 11.

"God I feel old..."Kor muttered. This caused everyone else to laugh. "Don't worry 'old man'. We'll escort you home when we head back." Sonic joked. Kor just gave a dry laugh in return.

"That reminds me, were we recording the whole time?" Amy asked.

"No. We haven't set up the link to Nicole yet, but we'll do that in the morning." Sally said, yawning. "We should get some sleep. Got a big day tomorrow." She finished.

"Well in that case I'm gonna check how much ammo Hornet has." Kor said before walking over the the large drone. He opened up the side weapons bays and counted how many rockets and missiles it had, then he checked the gun's ammo. In short, it didn't have much. It had less than half of its rockets and a few missiles left, and the gun was low on bullets due to fighting the Egg Phoenix. _"Hopefully we won't need to use it further..." _He thought to himself, especially since some of the paint had peeled off from its heated fight.

After a short while, the fire was put out and everyone went to sleep. Despite being in enemy territory, the sky was bright with many stars. Rotor and Tails even pointed out a few constellations before dozing off.

**-Next Morning-**

Sally began to stir was the sun's morning rays hit her eyes. When she was fully awake, she saw everyone else was either still asleep or beginning to wake up. She noticed Rotor was also wide awake. "Rotor? Didn't think you'd be up already."

"Had so much on my mind that I couldn't sleep. However, I was able to set up a link to New Mobotropolis." Rotor told her.

"Sweet! Now all we have to do is sync with Nicole and we're set." Sally said.

"What's the point of this broadcast again?" Sonic asked, stretching his legs. "

It's so the people will know of what's happening. After Nicole syncs in, the whole battle will be monitored." She explained to him.

"I hope it goes well. Otherwise it's going to be embarrassing as hell if this fails..." Kor said, cracking his neck. "But, good thing I brought some extra 'insurance'." The fox said before unveiling his rocket launcher.

Everyone else became shocked. "Where did you get that?!" Tails asked.

"Bought from my world some time ago. Don't worry I won't aim it at someone, maybe..." He said with a devious grin on his face.

"Kor please put that away. You probably won't need to use it." Sally said.

"Aw come on. Those walls look pretty thick and I could help blast a hole open." Kor whined.

Sally stared at him for a minute before sighing. "Fine...but I hope you have good aim."

"Pff, don't worry yourself princess. These rockets have so little splash that you could stand 5 feet from the blast and not be hurt."

Sally shook her head before helping Julie-Su and Nicole set up the broadcast. Back in New Mobotropolis, the citizens had gathered in the coliseum where several large monitors were set up in a fashion so that everyone present could watch.

King Elias addressed the people as they continued to enter. "People of New Mobotropolis! Yesterday, the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix have initiated an attack on the Eggman Empire, one that we hope will be our final assault against the tyranical doctor!" Some of the audience cheered. "If all goes well, we will finally be able to put this evil man behind bars! As you can see, monitors have been placed throughout the building, so we may watch as this mission unfolds. Let us give all of our support, to the heroes of freedom!"

The roar from the audience was almost defeaning. Within a few minutes, Sally and Julie-Su synced with Nicole before the whole group continued on. Kor destroyed all his sentries before they left. This time, they were going for the Eggdome itself.

**-Inside the Eggdome-**

"Hurry up legionnaires! We need every piece of metal we can grab for this barricade!" Lien-Da commanded. "Ugh...what's the point of this plan? I can see this barricade holding back the Freedom Fighters, but why have a hole to let _Sonic_ of all people through?..." She said to no one in particular.

"Be as it may, we have a plan to follow. If it succeeds, the heroes will be _his_ problem." Dimitri said as he floated nearby. He was surveying the build up of the wall.

"I still don't think this is a good plan grandfather. And I don't trust this 'Regina' person Snively discussed with us. We barely know anything about her." The red echidna stated, folding her arms.

"I'm well aware of that. But unfortunately we aren't in a position to have a say in the matter. Just do as they say and we may actually benefit from this." The cyborg said with a smirk growing.

**-Outside-**

"Ugh! This thing is tougher than I thought! It's gonna take us forever to make a huge dent in this.." Mighty said, hammering the wall of the Eggdome with his fists. "Yer tellin' me. My hand's startin' to hurt..." Bunnie said.

Both of them had been hitting the side of the Eggdome for a few minutes, after the heroes realized it would be too thick for Sonic to just spindash through it. Right now they were trying to make a dent big enough for Kor and his robot to blast a hole through. After another minute, they made a noticably sized dent in the metal.

"Think that's good enough?" Mighty asked.

"Should be. Kor, do your thing." Sally said.

Kor grinned and aimed his rocket launcher at the hole. His drone locked up the hole for a missile shot. Both of them fired at the same time, the impact creating dust and debris that made everyone shield their eyes. Once the dust settled, they saw they now had an entrance to the fortress.

Sonic slipped through the opening, ready to take on any legionnaires he saw, but to his surprise he found none. "Huh. No one's here. They must've headed deeper in." Sonic told the others.

As everyone else headed in, Kor stayed outside for a minute. "Looks like we got this covered. Killer, I want you to head back home. I'll fix ya up when we get back." The gunship whined in response. "I know I know, you want in on this too. But you can't really fit in the hallways, plus you're low on ammo and I don't want you to be defenseless. Just go back and I'll restock ya later." Hornet sighed before spreading its wings and took off.

Once inside, the 2 groups took note of the many corridors the base had. "This place is massive, but if I remember correctly these pathways all meet up at some point." Sonic said.

"Right. We'll split up to cover more ground, and drive out any legionnaires we see." Sally said.

"Kinda hate corridors. Just sayin', you'll learn to hate it when something unfriendly suddenly pops around the corner..." Kor said.

The Freedom Fighters and Chaotix took note of that and split off in different directions. Everyone was wary of being in their enemy's lair, knowing anything could show up to attack them. Bunnie, Kor, and Antoine had their weapons at the ready while everyone else kept their guards up. The Chaotix followed a similar approach. Fortunately, the unnerving silence was ended when both groups began to come across more and more legionnaires as they trekked deeper into the base. They managed to subdue any that were in their way thankfully. Eventually, the Chaotix came across a door, with none other than Dimitri blocking it.

**-Snively's Living Quarters-**

"Sir, the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix have infiltrated the base. They've separated from into 2 groups for the time being, but their getting close to the barricade we set up." Lien-Da told him. She then caught a rather fowl smell, to her that is, that was lingering in the room. "Ugh...are you wearing colonge?!" She asked, covering her nose in disgust.

**"**It was a gift from her region of the world. Quite the scent, isn't it?"

Lien-Da just frowned at him. "You could say that. Your nose is bigger than mine, how can you stand it?"

Snively sighed. "Hmph. Yet one more thing you animals will never understand about my kind. Anyway, have the Legion begin Phase 2."

**-Back with the Chaotix-**

"Move that glass head of yours Dimitri before I make you!" Knuckles told him.

"Such harsh words nephew. Did you forget you are one of my few remaining relatives? You even saved me from an unfortunate demise once. Even after all that, would you really be willing to move me if I don't myself?" The cyborg said, the guardians threats not phasing him in the slightest.

"Yes..." Knuckles said bluntly.

"Mmm...Edmund's convictions still live on in you. Very well then." The cyborg said before floating past the group. "I wish you and your friends luck, Guardian."

**-With the Freedom Fighters-**

While the Chaotix had a peaceful confrontation, the FF had the opposite. Right now they were pinned down behind two walls by a barrage of laser fire from the Legion. Bunnie retaliates with a few laser blasts of her own while Kor decides to send a few rockets in their direction, hoping to scatter them. However their assault is relentless.

"Got any ideas Sally? We can't hold here forever!" Rotor asks over the noise.

"I'm thinking of one!...If Kor and Bunnie can provide some cover fire long enough to scatter them, then Tails can-"

Before she could finish, Sonic cuts her off. "Uh, Sal? They've stopped."

"Stopped? Why would they cease firing all of a sudden?" The princess asked, clearly confused.

"Maybe because they're gone?" Sonic points out. Indeed, as sudden as the attack came, it ended and the Legion was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe we scared them off." Tails said.

"No offense but I seriously doubt that." Kor replied. "They had us on the ropes, wonder what made 'em fall back?..." Bunnie said.

The heroes continued cautiously through the hallway incase of another ambush. Suddenly, a door opens nearby. Both Kor and Bunnie take aim, but then are relieved to see the Chaotix. "Phew, almost sent one right at you guys." Kor said sheepishly.

"What happened to you all?" Knuckles asked.

"Dark Legion ambushed us. They held us up for a bit then all of a sudden they vanished." Sally told him.

"Vell, it looks like zey disappeared behind zis wall here." Antoine said.

Both groups walked over to where he was and noticed a makeshift barricade, made of crude metal probably found throughout the base. "Ah really hope we don't have to tear this one down too..." Bunnie sighed.

"Maybe we won't have to. Look there, a hole in the wall." Julie-Su pointed. Indeed there was a small hole in the defensive wall, but it sounded too good to be true.

"That's gotta be a trap. I mean who leaves a hole in a barricade?" Kor said.

"Probably so they could run through it quicker. In any case, I'm gonna go on alone for this." Sonic said.

"Sonic I wouldn't suggest that. It's too risky..." Sally said.

"Come on Sal, this is _Sonic the Hedgehog_ you're talking to. Anything the Legion can dish out I can deal with." The Blue Blur said with his signature smirk.

After some thought, she reluctantly agrees. "Alright, but be careful Sonic. It might take us awhile to find another way around." Sally told him.

"You know me Sal, I'm _always_ careful." He said. After the others bid him good luck, he slips through the hole. To his surprise, he finds Dark Legion soldiers standing in column saluting him. "Heh, this is new." He continues past them and enters a relatively small chamber. However, the second he does, the door slams shut.

Sonic looks behind him, not really surprised by this.

"This is the end of it rodent! You won't make it out of this room alive!"

Sonic looks up and sees Eggman in a newly built robot. It is a red colored robot that closely resembles a spider, preferrably a tarantula, hence the name with a checkered pattern on its abdomen. Sonic grins at his old foe. "Big words, big man! Let's go!" The 2 long standing opponents then begin their 'final battle.'

**-Just outside the chamber-**

The group waits for a minute, not hearing any sounds of fighting. "Maybe there's nothing back there after all." Vector says.

"Possibly. Still we need a better view than just a small hole to make judgement." Espio points out.

"Not a problem. I'll just blast the hole to make it larger. This barricade doesn't look as strong so it'll take a few hits." Kor said.

With that, he blasts 3 rockets at the whole, blowing a wider opening. However, when the smoke clears, everyone sees more Dark Legion troops pointing their laser guns at them. "Ah hell..." Kor mutters before they open fire.

**-Back in the chamber-**

Sonic and Eggman continue their fight, Eggman sending waves of attacks at Sonic while the hedgehog effortlessly dodges. While they fight, they continue to exchange dialogue. "You've been a thorn in my side for _15 years_ hedgehog, but that ends today!" Eggman proclaimed.

"Says the one whose really prickled right now." Sonic says with a smirk, dodging a swing from the robot's legs.

"Don't sass me boy! I am the most brilliant mind in the history of the world!" The genius dictator boasted. "If you say so." Sonic shrugs.

He moves quick as more missiles are launched at him. "My word is law! I conquered the WHOLE planet! Remember that derilect city of yours called Mobotropolis? It fell to my hands within _minutes_!" Eggman tells him.

"Oh I remember Eggman. I was five when you did that." Sonic says as he boosts, the missiles behind him falling short of their target.

"Good, and remember my ultimate victory as I ground you pathetic excuse for a mobian into the ashes of Knothole?" The evil doctor says with a grin, continuing to shoot at Sonic with a barrage of lasers and missiles.

"I'll admit that was impressive Doc, but you're forgetting a few key points, like the fact us Freedom Fighters took our city back!" Sonic boasts.

"I eventually came back to drive you vermin away!" Eggman retorts.

"Please Doc, that was like a month tops before Mobotropolis was destroyed by Station Square. Besides, we live in New Mobotropolis now." Sonic says, still avoiding his attacks.

"Grr! Shut up!" Eggman yelled, not wanting to be reminded of his failures.

"On that note, your so-called 'Eggman Empire' isn't even finished yet!" The hedgehog taunted.

"Yes it is! You pests are nothing but specks on the windshield to me!" The doctor growls in anger.

"Face it Egghead, you're lying to yourself. Even the United Federation has half a dozen city states in it." Sonic pointed out. He would have attacked by now if it weren't for the Egg Tarantula's unending barrage.

"Every day there are Freedom Fighter groups fighting against your rule, and come to think of it, you aren't too popular with your henchmen either!" Sonic taunted again. He runs up a wall with Eggman's attacks still falling short. " You can't claim to control the planet if you're fighting for it every waking hour. I'll give you credit for beating me fair and square not too long ago, but how many badniks have I stomped? How many times have I sent you packing?" He then jumps from the wall as more missiles detonate behind him, landing on Eggman's cockpit. "I've beaten you many times before, and I'll do it again." The hedgehog proclaimed proudly.

At this point, Eggman is infuriated. He'll be damned if he lets his sworn enemy mock him _and_ win again. "You're just a boy!" He presses a button, causing a grappling hook to shoot from the rear of the tarantula. It ascends upward and Eggman makes it spin, causing Sonic to jump off. "The games are over Sonic! We're going to end it all right here, right now! You can only beat the averages before you could even hope to beat me!"

Sonic lands on his feet, looking up at the doctor. "End it huh? Don't mind if I do!"

He jumps back up to the robot, which is now on the ceiling, jumping on each of the legs as they swing at him. He manages to cut the rope from the grappling hook, but then gets hit by one of the robot's legs. However, he notices a crucial joint in the legs, and quickly recoveres by going into a spin dash.

Unfortunately, Eggman jumps from the ceiling and blocks his attack. "I won't let you do that!" Both opponents land on the floor.

_"Guess ol' Eggy wants to do things the hard way. I better end this."_ Sonic thinks to himself before running up the wall. "Catch me if you can Eggman!"

"Blasted maniac perpetually moving animal..." The doctor mutters to himself before following.

With Eggman close behind him, Sonic then jumps from the wall, surprising the doctor. He then performs a homing attack on the robots abdomen, causing it to lose its grip and fall. "Grr! Stop!" Eggman commands. He watches to his own horror as Sonic spin dashes half the robot's legs off. It makes on ungracious landing while Sonic lands on his feet.

"Ready to surrender yet?" Sonic asks.

"No! I! Can't! Lose!" Eggman shouts defiantly, sending more laser fire at the hedgehog.

"I thought so..." Sonic mutters, shaking his head.

He boosts agains to avoid being blasted, approaching the robot.

"Grr! No! Stay back!" Eggman pleads.

His pleas fall on deaf ears as Sonic begins to tear the robot to pieces using a series of spin dashes. "No!" Sonic tears off the mantibles. "Noo!" He then breaks through the abdomen. "NOOOOOO!" He finally cuts the robot in half and shreds what is left to pieces.

Eggman is then catpulted from the mech as it explodes, yelling, "**I! HATE! THAT! HEDGEHOG!**"

**A/N: And that's all for now. Once again Eggman has been beaten, and probably lost what was left of his sanity. The other heroes are still dealing with the Dark Legion but they'll pass them soon enough.**

**Anyway, as for my two ideas, I'll make a prequal and a sequal to this story. Of course the prequal will show events leading up to this story, and the sequal will take place post Super-Genesis Wave. I got some changes to my character on what he does in that time but I won't disclose those for now. Also I'm considering an alternate version of this story where Kor never met the Freedom Fighters and instead ended up in the Dragon Kingdom. Of course, I won't be doing those until this story is done, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Though, pardon the fact some of it is unoriginal but thought it'd be good to add to the story.**


	18. Parties and Sentry Training

**A/N: Welcome to another episode of Practical Problems! Last chapter, the heroes have won! With Eggman finally defeated, the heroes can now rest easy...or can they? There's still the subject of 'Regina' Snively mentioned. Time will tell people. Time will tell.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega or Archie Comics except my OC.**

**-Outside the chamber-**

While Sonic and Eggman were battling one-to-one, the rest of the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix were battling six-to-one odds. The soldiers were well defended and constantly shooting an endless barrage of fire at the heroes, forcing them to take cover on the opposite side of the barricade.

"How did Sonic pass through just fine, yet we get the unwelcome wagon?!" Vector shouted.

"He must've been captured...we gotta find a way around them!" Mighty said.

"We didn't hear any signs of fighting shortly after he went in!" Kor said. He looks through the hole and notices a large door alittle behind the soldiers. "There's a large door back there! Wonder what they're protectin' so bad?!"

"Sally! Got any plans?" Bunnie asked. "

You know that idea I had before the Legion fled? Sounds like a good time to try it now!" Sally told her. "Kor! Bunnie! One the count of 3, I want you both to fire at the same time to scatter them."

Both of them nodded and took position on opposite sides of the wall. Bunnie charged her arm cannon while Kor loaded his launcher.

"We better make this count. Only got 6 rockets left." Kor said to Bunnie. "Right." She nodded.

"On 3. 1...2...3!" Sally ordered.

One the third number, Kor and Bunnie fired their weapons at the Legion. Bunnie shoots several laser blasts and Kor empties all 4 rockets from the launcher's clip. The Legion soldiers take cover in adjacent hallways or rubble to avoid the attacks. "Now Tails!" Sally yelled.

Right on cue, Tails tosses a few neutralizing mines to disable half of the battalion's weapons. "Didn't hit them all but it should be enough." Tails told them.

"Everyone! Charge!" The princess ordered again.

The group bursts through the barricade and began their battle with the Legion. Those with weapons disabled flee in terror while everyone else still armed engage the heroes. Knuckles, Mighty, and Vector gave fierce punches to the legionnaires when they got close, Espio used his natural abilities to blend into the environment, dispatching a few more legionnaires while Julie-Su used her blaster and combat skills to deal with any soldiers she came across. Charmy and Saffron annoyed the others, keeping them distracted so the less combat oriented heroes could subdue them easier.

The Freedom Fighters used their hand-to-hand combat skills to take out what was left of the battalion. Any soldier that was still conscious had fled. Once they made sure their enemies were knocked out, the heroes regrouped at the door. There were sounds of fighting coming from behind it.

"What do you think's on the other side?" Charmy asked.

"I hope it's not another 'surprise'..." Kor said.

"Ooh! I like surprises!"

"Not that kind of surprise Charmy..." Vector sighed.

"Well, we're going to find out one way or another, and given by the sounds of battle I think Sonic went in there...think you two can pull it open?" Sally gestured to Bunnie and Mighty.

Mighty cracked his knuckles. "Not a problem."

"Sure thing Sal." Bunnie said. "Wanna lend a hand Kor?"

"Um, I don't think this hand can give out much physical strength, sorry." He said, scratching his head.

After a couple minutes of bending metal, it was opened just enough to let the heroes in. When they entered, they were met by a disturbing scene. While it seemed that Sonic had won the battle against Eggman, the doctor himself was shaking violently, babbling nonsense, and ripping off the hairs of his moustache.

"Sonic...what did you do to him?" Sally asked.

"I just beat him like always...then he started to flip out..."

"You didn't just beat him this time Sonic, you _broke_ him." The heroes turned to the direction of the voice and saw Snively walk in through another door.

"Eccentrics aside, he really is a genius. He could build the most amazing things and plot a hundred steps ahead. Even the world fell to his brilliance in a few short years. Yet...all the building, calculating, and planning in the world couldn't beat you and that it's been gnawing at his mind for over a decade now. He took his latest defeat at New Mobotropolis very hard, and he's been losing his sanity for the past few days. All it took was one more defeat from Sonic to finally make him snap." The short overlander explained.

"Huh, I see what you mean, although this is ironic." Kor said, causing everyone to look at him. "Remember back when Eggman burned Knothole to the ground? It sounded like at the time he tried to break Sonic physically and mentally, yet Sonic never broke down and we rescued everyone. It's ironic that, in the end, Sonic was the one who broke him, though inadvertently." The red fox explained.

"Hmm, it seems you're smarter than I took you credit for Mr. Kor." Snively said.

"Thanks, I guess..." The engineer said sheepishly.

"So..what now?" Sally asked.

"Now? Now you leave me to care for my poor uncle. You may go home and celebrate. You've _won_." Snively said.

Then, he had two soldiers carry the now insane doctor out of the chamber and leaves. It takes a minute for it to dawn on the heroes they've actually won. After fighting against Eggman's reign of terror for over a decade, they've finally put an end to his schemes. Once it does click in their heads, the heroes cheer loudly.

"Had I known this would happen I would've asked you to save us some action Sonic." Knuckles says, patting the blue blur on the shoulder.

"Heh, it was nothin' Knux." He says with his usual grin.

"Once again the blue blur wins. Although I feel alittle sorry for that Egghead, he pretty much deserved it." Kor says.

While everyone is giving Sonic their congrats, Sally talks to Nicole. "Did you catch all that Nicole?"

"Yes, and so did everyone. People are already dancing in the streets!" She says with a wide smile.

As the heroes walked out of the Eggdome, Sonic explained to Tails and Amy what went on in the battle. However, he started to become a little disheartened, and he had a lot on his mind right now. Sally noticed this and asked the two to help Rotor find their ride while she talked with him. "You gonna be ok Blue?"

"Yeah...it's just that I didn't think it'd end like this. I didn't know what to expect, and I don't know what I'm gonna do now."

"Don't worry about it Sonic. Finding what's next is an adventure in itself. Plus, fulfilling your 'duty' and moving on can be a good thing." Sally assured him.

Sonic smiled. "Yeah. Guess you're right. Thanks Sal."

"Anytime Blue. Anytime."

Shortly after, everyone headed home. Amy blew a kiss to Sonic, Charmy and Saffron were having a conversation, Ray and Mighty slapped a high five, Vector and Tails shouted in victory, Knuckles and Julie-Su kissed in the back, Antoine waved his sword in victory while Bunnie flew along side, Rotor was driving, Espio was sitting calmly, Sally felt the wind in her hair, and Kor shot lasers into the air from his hand while cheering. He looked back at the wrecked city, and noticed something floating in the air. He made his eyes zoom in and spotted what looked to be some sort of chinese-looking blimp. _"_

_What's that thing doing there?...Eh, it's probably nothin'." _He thought to himself.

**-Inside the Eggdome-**

Eggman, still muttering nonsense, was now sitting in a padded room wearing a straitjacket. "Uthahea...hedgehog...ehahye"

"Now now uncle don't worry, the big bad mobians are gone. Oh, and don't worry about the Empire. I've found someone who can handle the job, and we'll be happily ruling together! So just sit back let your nephew take the reigns." Snively said with an evil grin before shutting the door.

Minutes later, the bald overlander makes his way to the top of the Eggdome, just in time to watch as a large blimp makes a landing. Dimitri is also there to make sure the Legion handles this with precision, and to meet his new benefactor. "You do realize I've risked a lot in siding with you on this matter..." Dimitri tells him.

"Save your threats Dimitri. I assure you, your choice in loyalty will be rewarded." Snively said.

Once the derigable landed, various beings stepped out. One faction were bats dressed in ninja outfits, another was an orange lynx dressed in a purple gi-like outfit wearing a conical straw hat, but towering above them was a ox clad in silver armor weilding a large mallet-like hammer along with an overlander wearing a red dress/robe with pointed black stripes with a golden headress on her head. She also weilded a large gold staff with an orb at the center.

"Dark Legion, meet your new masters: The Iron King and Queen!" Snively announced.

**-A couple hours later: New Mobotropolis-**

When the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix arrived at the city, they were greeted to a hero's welcome. People congradulated them left and right and some even paraded with them, holding them up high as they all cheered. It was a very joyous occasion, and even the Forget Me Knots, Mina's band renamed in memory of the destroyed village of Knothole, were hosting a concert later in the day. All the attention was starting to make Kor blush. He was rarely called a hero, but sure did gain some fans given everyone watched the broadcast. He managed to slip away from everyone long enough to make it to his house.

"Yeesh...I don't think I'm gonna get used to this kind of attention..." He sighed.

However, he thought back to the battle he and rest of the Freedom Fighters went through against the Legion. To be frank, it did bother him that they had been suppressed for minutes at a time without having enough firepower to easily change the tide, and but like Sally and the others have told him: they don't really resort to guns. Not that anything was wrong with it, but sometimes the best way to solve a problem was to use a gun, at least in Kor's basic engineer jargon. Sure he had his rocket launcher, but it didn't have any stand-off suppression fire his sentries would have.

"Hmm...all my sentries would've been good in that battle, but I can't be lugging around a tool box all the time, it'll slow me down and make me an easier target. Plus, it'd be a hassle trying to move the sentry all the time, unless..." A lightbulb turned on in his head, and he smacked his forehead for being stupid.

"Duh! It's so simple. Instead of moving the sentry, the sentry could move itself! But, I can't use the old model sentries...they're too fragile." He said to himself.

In the past days during the Gravel War, the sentries built back then could easily be destroyed by soldier rockets, demoman pipebombs, and even bullets from a simple pistol. Kor decided he would need to built a better armored sentry if it wanted to even have a chance to do its job.

He grabbed a stack of blueprints from a nearby drawer and began to sketch out his idea. It wasn't even 20 minutes later that someone came knocking at his door.

"Yo Kor! You in there?!" It was Sonic. "Yeah! Come in."

Sonic entered with Tails right behind him. "Dude, why are you in your house? Shouldn't you be with us celebrating?" The hedgehog asked.

"I would, but I'm not exactly used to that kind of attention like you guys are." Kor replied, still drawing.

"Soooo what are you up to?" Tails asked, lookng over his shoulder.

"Designing a new, mobile sentry. Had been thinkin' about our last battle and I thought it would be helpful if I brung somethin' that would give us an edge."

"Would we even need something like that? Eggman's finally given up...sorta...but I doubt we'll see many battles at this point." Sonic told him. He was still a little shaken at how Eggman broke down in front of him.

"Maybe so Sonic, but in the world we live in, anything can happen, so as some would say, better safe than sorry." The engineer stated.

"True...so what do you think of when you see Nicole?" Sonic asked with a grin.

The sudden question made Kor accidentally break his pencil. He turned in his chair. "W-What do you mean by that?"

"Oh come now Mr. Fixit, we know how you two had been spending time with each other even if you guys weren't planning something." He pressed.

"And? We're close friends."

"Might be getting closer than just 'friends'." Tails chuckled.

"Oh please. You two wouldn't know anything about it." Kor retorted.

"Sally told me what you guys were doing before Miles came, and given that you told us you two built that awesome robot of yours AND she built you replacement eyes, you can't tell me you haven't formed some attraction to her." Sonic explained with a smug look on his face.

Kor looked at him with a glare before sighing. "Alright...I do like her to a degree. It was something I didn't expect but over the past 5 months we got to know each other more. She understands me pretty well and I to her, though I'm just not sure if it'd work out..."

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked.

"Well, she's a highly advanced computer and I'm a mobian. Although she can project a holographic form, she can't keep it for long if something happens. I never told you guys this, but I promised at some point I would make her a real body..."

Both Sonic and Tails went wide-eyed at that. "Is that even possible? Last time she switched bodies with Sally-" Tails started but Kor cut him off.

"It is. Back where I come from there was a system called respawn." Kor then explained to the two what it did, how he should've been dead already if it weren't for that machine, and how it could give Nicole a chance at actually living.

"Huh. Sounds like alot of work. Think we can help with that?" Sonic asked.

"For another time. With our odd schedules even I don't have time to make arrangements. And I hope Nicole hadn't heard what I told you guys...given that she's literally everywhere here..." Kor muttered.

"Why's that?" Tails asked.

"I...don't know how to tell her my feelings..."

"Ah don't sweat it Kor. One of these days you'll find the courage for it. If Ant can propose to Bunnie then you can tell her how you feel. Besides, if you can handle getting shot at, you can totally handle this. Trust me, Sal and I used to date and I felt the same way you do right now." Sonic explained.

"True. Thanks you guys."

"Anytime." They both said.

"Speaking of which, I should find Nicole. I promised to teach her something." The engineer said, remembering something.

"Like what?" Tails asked.

"You'll see." Kor said, putting his half-finished blueprint away before heading outside. Little did they know, Nicole had heard everything, and a blush had pixelated on her face once more.

**-Minutes later-**

"Are you sure this a good idea Kor?" Nicole asked.

"Don't worry Nikki. I've built these plenty of times to know how they work, inside and out."

They were standing next to a red-colored standard Mann Co. licensed sentry gun, the one both RED and BLU engineers used daily during the Gravel Wars. Sonic, Tails, and Sally were watching nearby.

"Being that you're an advanced computer, I know you already know how to keep digital intruders out, but physical intruders take a different step to keeping them out. Shields are fine an' all but you gotta have something more than that to dissuade attackers, hence the sentries I built. So, we'll start small with this ol' thing." He smiled, patting the sentry as it continued to do a mindless scan of the area.

"True...I've just never had to fire anything before." Nicole said, staring off to the side.

"That's why I'll walk ya through it. Ready?" He asked. She nods before touching the sentry, her holographic form dissapating.

Nicole shuffled about inside the inner mainframe of the sentry. She came across some files and open them, viewing target protocols, scanning techniques, the range of the gun, etc. It didn't take her long to figure out the inner workings of the machine, and within a couple minutes, she assumed control of the turret. She could see the world through the sentry's main scanner and looked around. Kor looked at the level 1 sentry as it stopped its usual scanning and turned its turret in random directions, looking at the space around it. He found it to be rather cute.

"Ya done lookin' around yet?" He chuckled as the turret moved its gun nozzle up and down.

The turret looked at him, and his surprise, it spoke. "Yes. Was just getting used to being in something like this." Kor stared at the turret for a minute. "Something wrong?" It said, tilting its head slightly.

"Well, no. Just didn't think you'd actually make it talk."

"Well I am an _advanced computer_." Nicole smirked inwardly.

"True. Now I set up a target board that's about 10 feet over there. Think you can hit it?"

"I'll try." Nicole said through the sentry.

Normally when someone first fires a gun, they may get thrown by the recoil. This was one of those times, as when Nicole fired, the head of the sentry flipped backward, surprising her. Everyone else couldn't help but laugh. She continued to swing the turret to and fro until Kor straightened it out. "Relax Nicole. That's just how people react when they first shoot."

"I guess...but I didn't find it funny!" Nicole said, looking at the others. They held innocent grins on their face to try to contain their laughter.

"Just don't worry about it. Plus, you hit the bullseye." The fox said, pointing at the target. Indeed, there was a bullet hole in the center.

"Wow..I can't believe I actually managed that."

"Yeah, though lets work on you getting used to the recoil first." The engineer said, making some slight adjustments to the sentry's center pivot joint.

For the next few minutes Kor trained Nicole on how to shoot. The longer she got used to firing, the better she could control the effects of the knockback given from shooting. With that, Kor tapped the sentry twice and upgraded it to level 2. This time, Nicole was sporting twin automatic gatling guns. Like the first time, she had to get used to the recoil first before making good hits on the board. By now the target board was replaced due to too many holes in the first.

"Think you've got the hang of it now Nicole?" The engineer asked.

"Yes, though I'm curious. It says in here there's a third level to this machine." Nicole said, curious.

"Yeah, that one has a rocket battery in the back."

"Can we try it out?"

Kor shrugged. "If you can handle it."

He hit the sentry twice, making more exterior legs sprout from behind and the main casing in the back flipping down to allow the rocket battery to come out, the sentry's height increasing slightly.

"Now remember Nicky, rockets travel slower than bullets but have a lot of kick to them."

The sentry nodded before taking aim and firing. As the rockets left the battery, she almost felt the entire sentry tip backwards, but thanks to the extra stabilizers it prevented her from falling over. The rockets impacted the board, blowing the top portion off. After a couple more shots, she obliterated the bullseye with bullets and rockets from the sentry. Now that she had some experience with firing a weapon, she stored the collected data into her memory banks for later use, as well as if she needed to maintain control of another weapon.

"Heh, looks like ya finally got the hang of it Nicole. Nice job." He patted the sentry with a smile.

"Thank you Kor. Although I somewhat doubt I'll use a firearm, the data I got should come in handy later." The A.I. said before exiting the sentry's system.

She materialized into her holographic form next to everyone else, and seconds later the sentry was running on its own accord again.

"You know, it was actually interesting watching that sentry in action." Tails said.

"Well, it's nice to look at, so long as it's not pointed at you." Kor chuckled.

"Now I know what would happen to someone if they were in front of it..." Nicole said, a chill proccessing down her spine.

"To be honest I'm not entirely comfortable with Nicole experiencing this, but if it does prove helpful later..." Sally said.

Kor gave a small laugh. "Don't worry about it. Despite these things being absolute killers, they're rather fragile."

"Yeah. Back on Moebius I ran into some built by your faker. They were easier to put down than Eggman's robots." Sonic told them. He then looked at the sky and noticed the sun was nearly set. "Shoot. We got a concert to attend! See ya there!" He said before running off, leaving a streak behind him.

"Wait up Sonic!" Tails shouted, flying after his brother.

Kor shook his head. "I still ain't used to bein' called a hero."

"Weren't you one back in your world Kor?" Sally asked.

"Nope. If anythin' we were mostly called idiots, murderers, psychopaths, and the like, especially in this town called Teufort."

"I see...but make no mistake Kor. No one will dare call you that after today, especially since you helped us take down Eggman. Besides, you gained some fans recently." Sally said with a smile.

"To be honest, I try to not remember that." Kor said with a nervous smile.

A minute later, Sally and Kor meet up with the others at the coliseum before splitting off. Sally escort Sonic to their seats, but as she does she notices a troubled look on the hedgehog's face. "You ok Sonic?"

"Not really...I feel as though I went a little too far when battling Eggman earlier, with him losing his mind and all..."

"Well, maybe hearing Mina sing will put you in better spirits." Sally said.

"Hopefully..." Sonic sighed.

"HELLO NEW MOBOTROPOLIS! ARE YOU READY?!" Mina shouted into the mic, prompting the crowd to cheer. "This song goes to all the brave heroes, who gave their all in finally defeating Eggman! May we now live on in peace!" She shouted once more.

However, just as the band was about to begin, the stage was suddenly struck by lightning, throwing the Songoose off her feet. Everyone looked up to where it came, especially since no adverse weather was scheduled that night. What they see instead, is a brown-furred monkey wearing a red and turqouise vest/coat that split half-way down at the back along with a crown on his head. He was also holding some sort of golden staff that crackled with lightning at the tips. The weirdest thing, however, was that he was floating on a _cloud_.

"Uh, Tails? Any idea who that is?" Kor asked.

"That's Ken Khan! He's from the Dragon Kingdom!" The kit told him.

"Dragon Kingdom?"

"Somewhere in the Far East."

"Oh so like China and Japan." Kor said.

"What places are those?" Tails asked. "Not important right now." The red fox said, getting his laser gun ready.

**A/N: And that's the end of this chapter. So, Iron Dominion has taken over the Eggman Empire, and Ken just ruined a perfectly good concert! Someone's gonna want their money back! So what is Ken's reason for being here? And what does the Iron Dominion plan to do now? Tune in next time to find out.**


	19. A Bigger Threat

**A/N: After a long time editing my mess when I first started writing this story, it's time for chapter 19! Celebrations for defeating the Eggman Empire were cut short as a monkey known as Ken Khan arrives just as a concert was about to begin. What is his reason for interrupting this joyous celebration, and what could it spell for the heroes? Let's see.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega or Archie Comics except my OC.**

"What kind of lazy, self-congratulatory jerks revel when the rest of the world suffers? Where are these so-called 'heroes' of Mobius?! I want you to look me in the eye and tell me why you're so great!" Ken yells to the crowd.

"I'll show ya why we're so great!" Sonic yells back, going into a spin dash. "You just crashed a good party you know!"

Ken glares at the hedgehog before rushing to meet him head on. However, before they make physical contact, Sally jumps in-between them. "STOP!" Both of them come to a halt just inches from colliding.

"While I do agree with Sonic that the celebration was rudely interrupted, we have a good reason to do so. Recently, he finally managed to defeat Eggman once and for all, and now the Eggman Empire is no more." The princess explained.

The rest of the Freedom Fighters join them on stage at this point. However, Ken shakes his head, calming himself before explaining.

"That is where you're wrong princess...the Eggman Empire was never defeated, they merely had a change in leadership." He stated.

"Riiight, so whose calling the shots now?" Sonic asked.

"They refer to themselves as the 'Iron Dominion'. They've taken control of the Dragon Kingdom over the years and simply moved their seat of power to the Eggman Empire after it was vacated by the evil doctor himself. Although I do applaud you for defeating Eggman, the Iron Dominion is still a very real threat..." Ken explained.

Elias, who overheard the conversation, calls to Antoine. "Antoine, see if you can gather the rest of the Council. We need to decide on this matter immediately!"

The coyote nods but Ken stops them. "That won't be necessary your highness. I don't believe your so-called 'Council' has been handling things properly..." The monkey said bitterly.

"Not the only one who thinks that..." Kor muttered.

"Aw come on Monkey Boy! They can't be that tough!" Sonic says with a grin.

"We also might be able to get some help from the Dragon Kingdom Freedom Fighters." Sally adds.

However, Ken lowers his head at the mention of them. "There...aren't any Freedom Fighters in the Dragon Kingdom anymore..." He says hesitantly.

"All of them were wiped out?" Kor asks, to which the monkey nods. "...Sorry for your loss, but whose the big boss in this 'Iron Dominion'?" The fox asks.

"They refer to themselves as the Iron King and Queen. The King possesses incredible strength that would make even the fiercest of enemies quiver, and the Queen is a mage in for form of Magitek." Ken said.

Kor was about to ask what 'magitek' was but Sonic spoke before him. "Wait, aren't those the same jokers we dealt with when me and Tails stopped by?" Sonic asksed, to which Ken simply nods. "Indeed they are. Despite their defeat, they've grown considerably in power since..."

"Well, why don't we head over to New Megaopolis and show those Iron Losers how we handle things here?" Sonic said with his signature smirk.

"I would gladly appreciate that." Ken said with his own grin.

"Now hold on Sonic. These guys can't be just mere pushovers if they've caused this much trouble..." Sally pointed out.

"Come on Sal. We've dealt with these guys before like a year ago. So what if they have an army? We've dealt with the same thing when it came to Eggman. Only difference is they don't have any robots to hide behind." He pointed out.

Sally looked at the blue blur for a minute before looking at the floor in thought. After a couple minutes, she made her decision. "Alright, you two can go, but on ONE condition: You'll treat this as a recon mission, nothing more. We still don't know what they're capable of and I'd hate to see you both get captured or worse." She stated.

"You're the best Sal!" Sonic said, already halfway out the coliseum with Ken in pursuit.

"So what do we do now Sal?" Bunnie asked.

"Nothing to do now but wait and prepare..." The chipmunk told her.

"Welp, guess I'll head over to the airport. Hornet NEEDS some serious repairin'." Kor said. "Mind if I help?" Tails asked. "Sure little buddy." The red fox said with a smile.

After a minute of walking, the 2 foxes reach the hanger the Hornet resides in. Upon entering they immediately set out to get the gunship in top condition. Tails begins to reapply paint on its body while Kor restocks its weapons. It took about 20 minutes before they were finished. "Phew, that should do." Kor said.

"You think we'll have to use it against the Dominion?" Tails asked.

"If it comes down to it. From the way Ken spoke, it seems they heavily out-number us, but they can't be as bad as Eggman right?"

"True." The kit chuckled.

"However, I wonder what this 'magitek' thing Ken spoke of means." Kor said.

"Maybe you can ask him when he returns. I don't remember much of it myself, but I can bet it's nothing good." Tails stated.

"Well, that's just dandy..." The engineer sighed.

Afterwards, the two went their separate ways: Kor went back to his house while Tails went to assist the other Freedom Fighters if they needed it. The engineer sat back in his chair and looked over his half-done work. On the blueprint, it showed the first and second stages of a considerably larger sentry compared to the first one Kor ever used. On the blueprint, the main housing was comprised to have roughly 4in. of metal to protect it from small arms fire and rocket impacts. The top of the sentry was curved backward which might help deflect bullets, and the base of the sentry was much sturdier so it wouldn't flinch much when firing.

The first stage was similar to the regular sentries, using only a small semi-automatic cannon, but the second stage differed greatly. In this stage, both sides of the main housing push outward, allowing two bofors guns to deploy while bullet chains from the sentry's main compartment attach to them. The base also changed as well to accompany the potential recoil force from the guns. The third stage was incomplete, yet one could see the top of the sentry slides down to allow a rocket battery to come out the back. It also sported additional bofors gun on top of the ones already deployed, making the sentry look similar to a quad-mounted AA gun.

Kor continued drawing up the third stage's base. He wanted to put it on a sitting platform first before drawing up a movable one, which he considered using either wheels or treads. He also had to figure out how all of this would fit inside a toolbox he might have to carry, which would be a headache waiting to happen.

**-A hour later-**

Sonic and Ken return to the city, a little bruised from their so-called 'recon' mission. They meet up with Sally, Knuckles, and Elias in the castle. "I thought I told you guys it was just a _recon_ mission..." Sally said, arms crossed while frowning at them both.

"Well it was, until we got ambushed. Don't know how they knew we were coming, but we got smacked by ninja bats, the Dark Egg Legion, the Iron King, and surprisingly, _Espio_..." Sonic said the part with a heavy voice.

"Wait, Espio's with them now?!" Knuckles said, shocked beyong belief.

"Unfortunately he is. Espio is part of the Shinobi Clan, one of the 4 clans under the Dominion's control." Ken stated.

"But...I don't understand. There aren't any ninja clans from where he came from..." Knuckles said.

"It would seem your 'friend' has lied to you about his origins..." Ken said, leaning against the wall.

"Try not to worry too much on it Knuckles. I'll have everyone put on high alert and I'll get together with the Council immediately. It's clear the Iron Dominion has the means to attack our city...only thing that remains is _when_..." Elias said before departing.

Sally looks at Ken and notices his sad-ridden face. "You ok Ken?"

"No...I'm not exactly pleased with myself after having been defeated many times by the Dominion..."

"Try not to worry about that Ken. You have people to help you now, and once we sort out a plan we can make our move." Sally said, trying to comfort him.

However, Ken shakes his head and walks off. "Some king I turned out to be..." He muttered to himself. Sally and Sonic watch him leave, concerned looks plastered on their faces.

**-Meanwhile at the Eggdome-**

Snively and Regina were currently chatting in the queen's bedroom. After witnessing the full might of their forces put the brakes on Sonic and Ken along with forcing them to retreat, they were very confident that it wouldn't take much to make New Mobotropolis fall into their grasp.

"In all my days as a dictator, I have never seen Sonic make a hasty retreat so soon." Snively said, sipping from a cup of tea they were having.

"And it was twice as fun watching the 'pretender of the throne' wither at our might. They may have posed a formiable threat in the past, but now...now they shall learn the true of the Iron Dominion. And once we conquer that pitiful city of theirs, we can move from this dreadful dump..." Regina said.

"Speaking of the past, what was your life like before you became the Iron Queen?" Snively inquired.

Regina froze up a bit at the question. "That...is something I don't like to discuss...but because I love you sweetie I'll tell you." She pauses as she begins to reflect on the past. "I was born into a cult of Technomages located in the city of Mega Central some time before the Great War. While I was under their care, I learned how to control many robotic devices through the use of Magitek."

"Magitek?" Snively asked.

"It's the mystical art of controlling electronic signals and impulses, which allows the user to simply gain control of almost anything electrical just by the flick of their hand. How powerful the art's influence depends on how powerful the user is. Anyway, I used magitek to my advantage over the years as a child, even being able to move robots to my will from afar, but unfortunately...things became rather hard for me years later. Just as te Great War begun, magitek was considered illegal and many members of the cult, including myself, were arrested...most were imprisoned or worse, but thankfully my young age allowed the High Chancellor to show mercy and left me leave on my own. I didn't know of any other technomage cults in other human cities, and I couldn't even reside with mobians with the war raging..."

She pauses, glaring at the floor after remembering a certain incident. "...By then I realized I was the last member of my cult, so I set out to make the long forgotten art of magitek live on and eventuall dominate the world! At some point, I found myself in the Dragon Kingdom where I offered an alliance with Jun Kun. He was a local war lord at the time."

Snively stiffled a laugh. "Was that oaf actually your _leader_?"

"Oh heavens no! We were just partners." Regina corrected him.

"Once we were partners, I used my magic to awaken old machines found throughout the region and we used them in our conquest to conquer the entire region. Unfortunately...we suffered many defeats either from the warring clans or the free people...It wasn't until your uncle had contacted us that we began to gain ground, using his machines and technology to control the free people. I even set Mount Stormtop ablaze for _100_ days since they refused to yield to our rule!" Regina laughed evily.

Then, she formed a scowl on her face. "Then that blasted hedgehog and his sidekick showed up..."

"What happened my dear?" Snively asked.

"I decided to control that fake king Monkey Khan and used him to fight Sonic. As amusing as it was, it was unfortunately short lived when that two-tailed brat damaged my beautiful staff! Being forced to retreat I was pursued. However, Kun managed to hold them off until Sonic found the Fan of Fen Xing. He defeated that idiot warlord and ended the spell I placed over the free people's village..." Regina explained, glaring at the floor.

"Since then I swore revenge against that meddlesome hedgehog...and soon...I will achieve that!" She said with a grin.

"I'm sure you will my dear. Speaking of the Dragon Kingdom, I remember there were Freedom Fighters there, but they don't seem to be giving you any trouble." The bald overlander pointed out.

"Oh dear Snively, that, is a funny story. Khan was part of the Freedom Fighter group there, but because he is a cyborg, he was susceptable to my magic." She said before grinning evilly.

"As a result...I used him to wipe each and every one of them out...I couldn't have a sweeter revenge on that moronic monkey." She finished with a laugh, Snively joining her. "That is truly evil Regina. Do you have a plan for the Freedom Fighters?"

"That I do, but for another time. The hour grows late." Regina said, putting her cup down and showing the short man out.

**A/N: And that's all for this chapter. Took awhile to ring up due to lack of inspiration to write. With the Iron Dominion proving themselves to be a formiable foe, along with _Espio_ of all people being in their ranks, time will tell what will happen with the heroes.**

**Also, the main design for the sentry I intend for Kor to use is based on a sentry gun called 'The Mule' drawn by Elbagast on DeviantArt. It's actually a pretty impressive looking piece of work.**


	20. Meet the Technomancer

**A/N: Welp, it's here, chapter 20! Bring out the fruit and funnel cake!...On second thought, screw the fruit cake but the funnel can stay. Anyway, thank you everyone who read through the chapters so far. I don't really ask for reviews much, even though I got 2, but getting tons of views is good enough. **

**Last chapter, the Iron Dominion has proven themselves to be a formidable force. If Sonic and Ken think that ambush in New Megaopolis was bad, the worst is yet to come.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega or Archie except my OC.**

A day had passed since Sonic and Ken's recon mission. After getting the two patched up, the heroes were currently idling about the city. Knuckles had departed for Angel Island to keep watch over the master emerald. Word had spread to the rest of the heroes about Espio's betrayal, which put everyone on edge about their enemies. The only good thing about their situation was that the Dominion hadn't decided to attack yet. However, even if they did some of the citizens were sure their defensive measures would keep them safe.

At the moment, Ken was walking around the city. Despite Sally and Sonic's attempts to cheer him up, he still felt degraded due to suffering many defeats from the Dominion, especially since he was used for a certain purpose. Those thoughts were temporarily pushed away when a small rock hits his shoulder.

"Take that you meanie!" A young voice said.

Turning with an annoyed look on his face, the monkey saw a young tiger, bear, and cat hurling stones at him. However, they were cut short when Sonic arrived. "Hold it there kids. Why are you throwing rocks at my monkey friend here?"

"He ruined Ms. Mina's concert!" The bear cub replied.

"Ok yeah that was rude of him, but it's also rude to throw stuff at strangers." Sonic retorted.

"It's fine Sonic. It was truly my fault for that incident..." Ken said, before kneeling to the children's height. "I'm sorry I had ruined a joyous evening for you 3. You have my word of honor it won't happen again." He said with a smile before walking off.

Sonic stared at the monkey before looking at the kids. "Alright you kids run along now. But If I hear about you throwing rocks again I'll let Rosie know." They nodded before running off.

Sonic ran up to Ken. "You doing alright monkey-boy? You've been rather distant lately."

"I still have alot on my mind hedgehog...please go away..."

"What was _that_? Where's your infamous temper monkey-king?" Sonic asked. At that the word 'king', Ken's face grew into a glare and he swung his atom-bat at Sonic, who easily avoided it.

"How many times must I tell you NOT to call me that?! I've been through too many failures to even be worthy of that title! You have no idea what I've...what I've been forced to do back in the Dragon Kingdom..." He said as he cooled himself.

"I get where you're coming from monkey-boy, but look at the bright side! At least the Dominion isn't attacking yet!" Sonic said with optimisim. However, as the universe's way of showing irony, Nicole suddenly materializes half-way in front of them. "Sonic! Ken! The Iron Queen and Snively are within the city's walls!"

Occassionally, the city's shield would be let down to let in fresh air, and since Eggman's downfall, everyone didn't have to worry about any air attacks. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the worst time to have it down. Both members of the Eggman Empire sat in Egg Mobiles, gazing evilly at the mobian city.

"So what do you think of this place my dear?" Snively asked. "Not too bad. It will make a nice capital for my Dominion after we clean out the vermin." Regina replied.

They both suddenly hear a certain chipmunk shouting up to them. "You both are under arrest for crimes not only against this city, but for all you've done in the Dragon Kingdom! Surrender yourselves now or we will use force!" Sally shouted. The rest of the Freedom Fighters including Ken were with her.

Regina couldn't help but laugh. "Force? What kind of force could you Freedom Fighters possibly have?! I believe it is you who should surrender to us, before you suffer a humiliating defeat." She giggled.

Sally sighed. "I thought she would take the hard way...Bunnie, Tails, bring them down." She ordered. The two nod before taking off toward their foes. However, half-way up to their targets, Bunnie notices her robotic limbs start to act strange.

"Bunnie? You ok?" Tails asked.

"I don't know, my legs and arm feel like their tryin' to move on their own!" Right as she finishes that sentence, she takes off full blast right towards the kit. "Look out!" Tails gasps and barely avoids getting socked by the cybernetic rabbit. Bunnie struggles to regain control of her limbs, but finds herself unable to. "Why won't they respond ta me?!"

"Because they are being controlled by me!" Regina states, holding her scepter high. The object itself is glowing with many charicatures around the orb. "You see, Magitek allows me to control anything made of metal that gives off an electronic signal, or in other words, most technology. You will have no free will over yourself unless I grant it. And since I'm aware another Freedom Fighter in your group also possesses cybernetics, I order you both to attack!"

At those words, Bunnie dives at the other heroes while Kor's hand turns into its laser form on its own. "Oh no ya don't!" Kor says as he tries to turn his hand off.

The rest of the heroes are forced to dodge their friends' attacks. Kor's hand soon overuses its core and turns back, only for the engineer to be literally dragged across the ground in a comical fashion, trying to smack Sally. "Make it stop!..." He says in a muffled voice.

Bunnie, to her horror, nearly hits Antoine but Sonic manages to steer her away. The hedgehog steers her into a nearby safehouse where her boosters finally cease. "Ok Bunnie, you should be safe in here until we can get 'her royal pain' out of here..."

"Ah hope so...any more use and I'm gonna lose consciousness..." Unfortunately, Bunnie's arm cannon suddenly activates. "Run Sonic!"

The blue blur didn't need to be told twice as he moves away. Seconds later, the safe house was blown to pieces. Thankfully Bunnie emerged unharmed, but now she's flying around shooting laser blasts at everything. Due to constant use of her cybernetics, the poor rabbit was now on the verge of blacking out.

"Aw, what's wrong my poor puppet? Surely you still have some fight left in you." Regina taunted her. As she readies to have Bunnie fire another shot, Ken suddenly appears before the two on a magic cloud and strikes at them with his atom-bat. "I've had enough of your manipulative ways Iron Queen!" He yells.

The sudden attack causes Regina to lose focus, forcing her to relinquish control on the two cybernetic mobians. Bunnie passes out on the ground while Kor dusts grass off his fur. His right arm was soar from being yanked all over the place. "You alright Kor?" Sally asked.

"I'm fine...arm aches like hell though...I'm more worried about Bunnie." He replies as he looks over to their fallen friend. "Sonic, take Bunnie to Freedom HQ. Keep her safe." Sally ordered.

"Got it!" Sonic says before dashing off with Bunnie in his arms. "Kor, you need to make yourself scarce and hide somewhere in the city." Sally told the fox.

"What about you guys? I can't just leave you to deal with this-"

"It's better if you don't risk yourself being forced to fire at us. And that's an order..." The princess cut him off. The engineer sighed. "Alright...but I _really_ hate that bitch right now..." He said, gesturing to Regina as he departed.

Back in the air, Ken and Regina were clashing with their respective weapons. "You have no right to ruin the lives of these innocent people! I advise you retreat at once before I _make_ you!" Ken yelled at her.

"Hah! Says the so-called 'King of the Free People'. You're going to regret defying my rule, twice!" Regina retorted.

As they continue to battle, Snively sneaks behind Ken and takes his crown. "Let's see how you fare without your precious crown monkey-boy!" He taunts. Ken's eyes widen in horror. Unknown to most, Ken is actually a cyborg. Robotic parts make up most of his internal structure, including parts of his brain. It only took seconds for Regina to bind her magic to him and make him her best puppet.

"Awaiting command, master..." The monkey said in a droned voice. "Make yourself useful and destroy the Freedom Fighters." She simply said.

Ken nodded before going on the attack. Sally, Tails, and Antoine scrambled for cover as Ken used his atom-bat to cast lightning around the area. Whatever they hit left a scorched mark on the earth. "Ken please stop this! We're your friends remember?!" Tails begged.

Instead, Ken goes after him, charging up another strike. Just before the young fox is hit, Sonic snatches him out of the way. "Don't worry buddy! I got ya!"

"Thanks for the save Sonic!" Tails cheered.

"Sonic, what's the status on Bunnie?" Sally asked as she ran up to them. "Don't worry about her. She's just taking a nap at the HQ. What about monkey-boy here? I know he's got a huge temper problem but I didn't think he'd flip out like this." Sonic said.

The 3 took cover behind a few trees as another lightning strike was casted at them. "Snively took his crown. Then she used the same magic she used on Bunnie and Kor, making him attack us!" Sally explained.

"Maybe we can contain him like I tried with Bunnie. At least he doesn't have an arm cannon." The hedgehog said in thought.

"Try not to hurt him too much Sonic. He's still our friend." "I'll try, as long as he doesn't fry me in the process!" He said before running into the open.

"Hey monkey-boy! I know you're a bit tense right now, but why don't you just cool off and count to 10 for a sec?" He asked. His response was the monkey diving at him to strike him with his bat. Sonic easily flips over the brain-washed simian. "Woah! Easy there Ken! What happened to be being friends? You could at least fire back a friendly banter!" He says with a smirk.

"Don't waste your breath hedgehog. Khan's cybernetics are too extensive throughout his body to resist me. My control on him is absolute!" Regina boasted.

"And I don't think he'll be needing this anymore." Snively said. He then snaps Ken's crown in two.

Shortly after, Mighty and Vector join the scene. Confused as to why Ken was attacking everyone, Tails quickly explained the situation to them, causing them to join the fray. Sonic regroups with Sally for the moment. "What's so special about his crown anyway? Did it have some magical properties to it or something?" He asked.

"Hmm...I remember when we first met, Ken created his crown by making it a power ring headband. I think with it, he was able to resist the Queen's control." The chipmunk said in thought.

"Great! So we just need another one. Think you guys can stall him while I go to the lake?"

"We'll try." Sally said.

With that, Sonic jets off to the Lake of Rings. Ken tries to follow but Antoine cuts him off. "It would've been thoughtful if you had told us you were a liability you imbecile!" The coyote yells at him.

The two clash with their weapons for a brief moment before Ken shocks him away. Sally then attempts to kick the monkey in his head but is swept off her feet by his atom-bat. Then, Vector, Mighty, and Tails attempt to hold him down. "Hah! I knew we wouldn't need Julie-Su's help for this! Get him Mighty!" The crocodile boasted.

"Sorry Ken, but this is gonna hurt." However, before the armadillo could attack, Ken grows furious. "Tumultuous Thunderclap of the Enraged!" With that, he claps his hand together, sending a large shockwave in all directions. This causes the 3 to be thrown back.

**-Lake of Rings-**

Kor was sitting on a bench in the area, holding an ice pack on his shoulder. The constant sounds of battle weren't calming his nerves. As much as he wanted to be there for his friends, he knew he was too much of a liability since the Queen could literally control technology. In fact, the only reason he hadn't pulled out the walled sentries of the city or even sent Hornet in was due to that revelation. Not only that, but the engineer realized most of his advantages came from various technology, and he was beginning to worry he might be completely useless throughout this whole conflict, especially since he wasn't as tough as his friends physically. He was also unsure if the Queen knew of his other cybnetics.

He was pulled from his thoughts when a gust of wind hit his fur. "Sonic? What are you doing here?"

"The Queen took control of Ken and she's using him to attack us. I need another power ring headband to snap him out of it."

"Already on it Sonic." Nicole said. "Wait, Ken's a cyborg?" Kor asked.

"Pretty much. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be inside Kor?" Sonic asked.

"Not exactly happy with not being able to assist my friends. Plus I feel completely useless given that damn bitch's magic..." Sonic was alittle thrown by Kor's name for the Queen but ignored it. "You aren't completely useless Kor. Sure you have alot of technical advantages, but you still have the brains to make things work."

"To be frank, that doesn't make me feel any better..." The fox sighed.

Sonic was about to give more advice but he noticed the ring hadn't appeared yet. Plus, the continous sounds of thunder weren't helping. "Not to rush Nicole but what's taking the ring so long?" He asked.

"It takes alot of power to generate a ring Sonic. I'd need at least 7 minutes before one can appear." The A.I. said.

"Time is something we don't have..." Sonic said, folding his arms.

"I'll see if I can re-route more power." She replied. After another minute, Kor noticed something coming in the distance. "Uh, Blue? What is that?"

Sonic turned and saw Ken speeding directly towards them. "Um, Nicole? You almost done? He's heading right for us!"

"Just a few more seconds." She said.

Just as Ken was getting within striking distance, a new power ring floated up from the lake. Sonic hastly grabbed it and slammed on the monkey's head, freeing him from his mind control. Ken splashes into the lake, which fortunately is rather shallow. Ken realizes what happened over the last 15 minutes and just sits there, sulking. It was then Sonic truly realized why he was so angry about being called a king. He believes he failed to live up to that name, and given how Ken was used to wipe out the Dragon Kingdom Freedom Fighters, it was completely understandable why he was hesitant to talk about it, and why he was angered about the celebration yesterday.

Regina looks on with a grin on her face. "Time to go Snively. Our foes have embarassed themselves enough." With that, the two head back to New Megaopolis.

"I thought...with the crown I would be able to resist her control...but I lost myself to my own rage, making me susceptable to her control again...even after all the pain I caused, I still continued to fight them, but being alone after this time..." Ken said to himself, even though everyone else heard it.

"Ken, you aren't alone in this. We've told you before, you can count on us to help you. From the looks of it, you need it now more than ever." Sally said, trying to ease his pain.

However, Antoine was still flustered from earlier. "Aside from that, eet would have been a good idea to us more about ze Queen's power! Two of our members, including my wife, were hurt! Eet would have been useful if you told us you were also a pawn to her!"

"Antoine come on, he doesn't need this right now..." Sally retorted.

"No. He's right Sally. I should have warned you all before-hand about the Queen's ability as a technomage..." Ken said.

"I was plannin' on askin' that earlier but forgot..." Kor said.

"Well, we all make mistakes. But even when we do, we always keep sight of our goals. We're strong as long as we stand together, and you can still be strong for us just as we are for you Ken." Sally says with a smile.

This brightens the monkey's mood to a degree, even putting a genuine smile on his face. "I'm sorry for neglecting to tell you all that crucial piece of information." He said to Antoine.

"And I'm sorry for 'aving snapped at you." The coyote replies before the two shake hands.

"Hey Ant, remember your old yellow streak?" Sonic asked. "Oui. I remember zat all too well..."

"Because I could totally bring it up right now." The hedgehog says with a smirk. "I know..." "Cause I've got a _list_ of it." Sonic teased. "Stop eet..."

Soon, the heroes disperse. Sally goes to check on Tails, Sonic gives Antoine a lift to the HQ so he can check on his wife, Ken fishes through the lake in search of his atom-bat, which he dropped upon regaining control of himself, and Kor still sits at the bench, trying to mull over some way they could counter the Queen's magic. Nicole activates the city's shield so their enemies can't enter again. "Worst time to let the shield down..." Kor sighs.

**-Eggdome-**

Snively walks down to the fortress' detention center, a smug look on his face. He finds the cell Eggman is being kept in and gloats to the doctor. "Good news uncle! Regina and I have successfully humiliated and demoralized our enemies, something you could never hope to do. Not only that, without a doubt we'll be able to take over the city and conquer the rest of Mobius, again another feat you failed to accomplish!" He chuckled.

However, it appears Eggman didn't understand him, as he is still mumbling random sentences that don't make any sense. Snively sighed. "Not as enjoyable if the person can't understand you..." He muttered as he left.

Eggman continued to say random nonsense, except for one phrase. "...Must do away with Kodos...no, Crabmeat, that's my cookie!...more ore for the Ultimate Annihilator...hate that hedgehog..._**cell block override authority epsilon-gamma-gamma...**_want to ride the pasha... tastes like clucky..." His cell door opens and his straitjacket undoes itself.

**A/N: And that's all for this chapter. The heroes are gonna have to come up with a new strategy to defeat their foe, and having an insane man escape custody can be rather bad, for both side. What's gonna happen? Tune in next time.**


	21. Thoughtful Advice with a First Victory

**A/N: It's time for chapter 21. Last time, we saw the Iron Queen demonstrate her control over technology to the heroes, by manipulating Bunnie and Kor's abilities, and later taking full control of Ken. With the heroes reeling from this assault, things are also shaping in the Eggdome: Eggman somehow remembered the code to open his cell. What will the Dominion do next? And what are they gonna do with a madman on the lose? Let's find out.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Archie or Sega except my OC.**

A few hours after their battle with the Queen, Sonic and Ken were heading toward Bunnie's room in the hospital. She was moved there a short while after their enemies left so her condition could be checked on. Aside from the fatigue of having her robotics overused, she would be fine. "Hey there Buns. Feelin' any better?" Sonic asked.

"Nearly right as rain Sugah Hog. Just needed a bit of sleep." The rabbit said as she stretched out in her bed.

"I'm sorry for having you go through that...no one should ever have to experience being a puppet to that tyrant..." Ken said solemnly.

"Ah don't fret none Ken. Ah've been through worse than what happened this mornin'." Bunnie assured him. "Ok. If you say so." The monkey replied.

Just then Dr. Quack walked into the room reading a file. "Ok Ms. D'Coolette you should be discharged in another hour, and shouldn't you be resting Mr. Khan?"

"Relax doc. He's been with me the whole time." Sonic said with a smirk.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? You're a disaster magnet Sonic."

"Aw come now doc. I don't attract _that _much attention." The hedgehog smirked.

"_Sure_ you don't. Anyway, just wanted to check on Bunnie. I have some other work to do." Dr. Quack said before leaving the room. Just as he walked out, Nicole materialized into the room. "Hey Nicole, what's shakin?" Sonic asked.

"The Great Forest it seems. I've detected something causing destruction in the area near the city." She said. "Well, I'll just juice on out to check the place. Cya guys!" Sonic said before rushing out the room.

**-King Fredrick Airfield-**

Activity at the New Mobotropolis airport was little to moderate. Soldiers were occasionally moving supplies or just idling and chatting about the day. However, the soldiers would occasionally flinch at the sound of large gun being fired somewhere in the area. If one were to follow the sound, you wouldn't be surprised as to what's causing it.

Kor grinned at his latest creation: the bofors gun-weilding sentry he drew up days before. Currently the new sentry was in its level 2 phase, shredding a target board 50 ft away. Anyone nearby had their ears covered due to the noise, yet still wondered how Kor could stand it since he was right next to the damn thing. The engineer noted that although the fire rate was slower than his previous sentry, it was more accurate, it hit _much_ harder, and it was bigger in size. The level 2 phase reached just under Kor's chest. The reason for this was because the guns used were 40mm instead of the previous 50 calibers. Now one may think this is a tad bit overkill, since a single hit from this turret is likely to kill any living person, but not for this engineer. He believes it'll be useful against robots and aerial targets, and maybe as a last resort if he has to gut someone. He was still working on bringing the level 3 phase into fruition.

However, as Kor looked at his new toy, he couldn't help but think the others probably won't approve of it. He never told anyone aside from Sonic and Tails about it, and even then he didn't give the specifics of it. Plus he was probably supposed to notify the council about anything he decides to build. Not only that, but given what happened that morning he sure as hell didn't want the Iron Queen to get her hands on it. He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a soft hand tap his shoulder.

"Oh hey Nicole! What brings you here?" The engineer yelled over the noise.

"Well I was getting noise complaints from a few soldiers! So..." The sentry clicked as it kept firing even though it was out of ammo. The target board, as well as the tree it was on was blown to hundreds of pieces. "So you may want to keep it down ok?" Nicole said, lowering her voice.

"Yeah, alright. Least it ran out of ammo..."

The A.I. noticed Kor giving a saddened look as he stared at the turret. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah...needless to say I'm still embarrassed at being dragged all over the front lawn by my own hand..."

"Try not to worry too much about that. Maybe next time when you and the others confront the Queen you'll have something planned." Nicole said with a smile.

"Well...that's one idea..." The engineer mused.

"So what's _really_ on your mind? I may not understand emotions much but I can tell when Sally is in her 'think tank mode'." She stated.

Kor sighed and sat on top of the sentry as it mindlessly scanned the area. "...After what me and Bunnie went through...I'm afraid of being completely useless during this whole ordeal...most of my strength lies heavily in the tech I use, but how do I fight someone who'll just gain control over it and use it against me?...I ain't strong physically so what am I supposed to do?..."

"What about when you fought with Theron? You seemed to have handled him well." The A.I. pointed out.

"That's because he was an engineer like myself, and he was pretty much me. When it came to fights back in my world, I could handle other engineers, scouts, spies, especially spies, and a pyro and medic occasionally because having physical strength isn't their main focus for various reasons. When it came to heavies, soldiers, and demos though, I normally ended up being sent back to the respawn room since they were stronger than I was physically. Sure they didn't use their heads much but still. Hell, I was practically tired after my fight with Theron even though I didn't show it...basically if I got no tools to use I might as well be a dead man, er, fox...walking..." He explained.

Nicole looked as the engineer lied back on his machine after he finished. She read over his words before coming up with a response.

"Kor...from what I've seen in the past 5 months since we've met, I've taken note of one feature about you: You tend to plan ahead. When we built Hornet, remember what you said its purpose is? It was made to give Eggman hard time and aid us greatly. Although it wasn't used as often as you would have liked, it still did its job. You've even built turrets into the walls to help protect us, and whatever plans you have for this sentry you're sitting on, I believe its for a good cause. Sure you may lack physical strength, but ever notice most people who come up with plans don't rely on brute force either? In most cases they help lead those who do have the strength to where they can be very effective. That's what Sally does, and I'm sure you can do the same." She stated thoroughly.

Kor sat up. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying you can use your tools to their best ability, and I'm sure you can figure out something to counter the Queen..." Kor thought over it for a minute, but then he remembered something Sonic did an hour earlier. "You're right Nicole. I should stop dwellin' on that and focus on the future. And I got an idea."

"Aren't I always?" She said with a smirk. "Heh, yer pretty cute when ya smirk like that." The engineer said before realizing what he said.

The A.I. blushed a bit before changing the subject. "S-So what plan do you have?"

"Well, earlier when Sonic had placed that power ring band on Ken's head to get his senses right, I'm wonderin' if it's possible to put it on my sentry and hornet so they could resist her calls as well." The engineer said.

"Hmm...while that's possible to work in theory, it'll take some time to generate even one power ring..."

"Well just take your time. Hopefully the Dominion won't attack any time soon..." Kor said. "Right." Nicole pauses for a moment. "That may have to hold. Sally needs you and the other Freedom Fighters." She said before disappating.

"Ugh...what now?..." The fox sighed as he packed the sentry into its toolbox and carried it back to his hangar.

**-Outside the city's walls-**

The rest of the Freedom Fighters met with Sally, Ken, and Tails, along with a surprise guest: Eggman. The doctor appeared to be unconscious. "What is _he_ doing here? Didn't Snively say he would take care of him?" Kor asked.

"I was getting to that. Me and Sonic found him ripping out trees in the forest. He said he was searching for Knothole, and he even referred to himself by his real name! It was weird, but then the Iron Dominion showed up. Sonic told me to take Eggman here while he held them off." Tails stated.

"Great...just what we needed...Ken, Kor, take Eggman to the prison. Everyone else, we're going to give Sonic some help." Sally ordered.

While the monkey and red fox hauled the obese overlander to jail, the rest went to the airfield to retreive a hover vehicle before setting out. Elsewhere in the forest, Sonic was still battling the Dominion's forces. He takes out ninjas one by one with spin attacks as they attempt to surround him. "I can see why you rely so much on controlling machines. These guys are pretty weak!" Sonic taunted.

The Iron Queen glares as the hedgehog as she and Snively observe from their hover pods. "That hedgehog will not make fools out of us as he did at Mount Stormtop..." She said with venom laced in her words.

"Now now deary. I'm sure he won't hold an edge for long." Snively said. "Now isn't the time for your words Snively! Jun Kun! End this foolishness!" Regina ordered.

The ox grinned before jumping into the fray. Just as the Sonic knocked away another ninja, he found himself blind-sided by the much larger Iron King. Before he could react, Jun swung his mighty hammer right into the the hedgehog's cheek, sending him flying into a tree. The ox grinned as he noticed Sonic was unconscious. "I expected better resistance from you Hedgehog. Oh well, you shall pay for the humilation you wrought to us years prior!"

Unfortunately for Jun, he would never get his revenge. Just as he was about to finish the blue blur, a saucer suddenly flys right into him. Then he finds himself being attacked by Antonie and Amy, forcing him on the defensive. "Ugh! You pests dare defy me?! You will learn the strength of the Iron King!" Jun yells before retaliating. He swings his hammer at the duo, who easily dodge out of the way before resuming their attacks.

Meanwhile, Sally and Tails awaken a dazed Sonic. "You alright Blue?" Sally asked.

"Yeah, he just got a lucky hit that's all." Sonic replied, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Right. It seems Regina and Snively are distracted. Now would be the best time to put them on our level." She stated.

"Got it covered! Let's go Tails!" The hedghog said. Tails grabs his hands and flies them both up to the Queen and her lackey. The two were busy watching Jun Kun fight off Antoine and Amy when suddenly, both Sonic and Tails spin dash through their hover pods. The Queen lands on her feet, though Snively is less fortunate.

"And you said I was nothing but a 'mere nuisance.' How was that for an annoying blue hedgehog?" Sonic taunted.

"Don't believe we are through yet Hedgehog. You have yet to see the full strength we have at our disposal." Regina retorted.

"Oh yeah? Then bring it!"

"Actually Sonic, it would be best if we retreat." Sally said.

"Aw come on! We can totally take these guys! I knocked out like...", he paused as he counted his fingers, "10 or 15 ninjas."

"Then you got blind-sided by the Iron King. Also they heavily out number the 5 of us." The chipmunk pointed out. Sonic sighed. "Alright. Let's get out of here."

The hedgehog then ran around, picking up his comrades before running back to New Mobotropolis. They entered the city just as the shield was raised. The Dominion caught up and immediately tried to mount an offensive. The Iron King struck at shield with all his power, but even he couldn't pierce through the tough defensive layer. The Iron Queen then tried to manipulate it through magitek but found herself unable to as well. Not only that, Ken and Bunnie took the prime opportunity to taunt her for the Dominion's failure at breaching the city, similar to how she humiliated them earlier in the day. Fuming, Regina ordered everyone to retreat.

Nicole materializes next to Sally as their enemies leave. She looked like she had a small headache. "The shield will hold. The Iron King's blows aren't as bad as when the Egg Fleet was constantly blasting it." She stated.

"You ok?" Sally asked in concern.

"I'm fine, although for a few moments I felt a strange distortion. I can't pinpoint its source but it's gone."

"Alright, but if you detect it again let me know ok?" Sally said with a smile. "Will do." The A.I. smiled back before vanishing.

Meanwhile, Sonic went to check on Eggman. He was in a cell currently being watched over by Kor, who was wearing a set of earphones to block his hearing. Sonic gives the fox a questioning look. "He kept askin' me stuff I didn't know, couldn't stand it anymore..."

"Don't worry bud. I'll handle this." Sonic said before turning to Eggman. For the most part he still looked crazed, although possibly less so than when he accidentally 'broke' him. The hedgehog still felt bad for driving the doctor to such an extent.

"Ah hello there Sonic! I see your friend Tails has brought me to Mobotropolis! However I do wonder why I have been placed in a cell. Your red friend there wouldn't tell me anything." Eggman said.

"Well doc, that's because the Great War is still going on. To protect you from the other overlanders, we just put you in protective custody! In fact, I think the King may want to speak with you at some point." Sonic lied.

"Ah yes, That's brilliant. Well, I better rest up for the King. My brain is rather exhausted from earlier." Eggman said before attempting to nap.

Sonic sighed in relief before he and Kor made their way out of the specialize cell area. Ken heard everything and had a question on his mind. "I just don't understand you Sonic. Even after all he's done to you, why show Eggman any mercy?"

Sonic shrugged. "I just do what I think is right at the time. I still feel a little guilty for making him snap days ago. It's the least I could do." Ken smiled with newfound respect for the hedgehog. "I see."

"Want my opinion?" Kor asked. "No." Both Sonic and Ken said with a smirk.

"Yeesh fine, but I just wish we had a few days to relax. Can't believe I'm gettin' a damn headache from all this fightin'..." Kor said with a hand on his head.

"You know, I thought for a former mercenary like you, you'd be used to this." Sonic laughed with Ken beginning to chuckle.

"Hey, fighting gets tiring at times." The fox retorted.

"True. Maybe Nicole can give you an ice pack, _and maybe stroke your fur while you sleep_." The hedgehog added with the biggest shit-eating grin he could muster. "...Shut up..." Kor said with a glare and blush on his face, causing the other 2 to laugh harder.

**A/N:**** That's all for chapter 21. With Eggman in better protection, and the Dominion successfully driven off, the heroes can finally catch a breath. However, make no mistake, things are about to get really hard for these guys.**


	22. Hostile Takeover

**A/N: Time for chapter 22. Last time, the heroes took custody of Eggman and managed to thwart the Dominion from trying to take over the city, for now. But, as I stated last chapter, things will get serious. And I'm gonna enjoy writing this one.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

The days after the Dominion's first real defeat had been a little hectic. The Iron King single-handedly attacked Fort Acorn, a fortress just outside of Robotropolis. The fort was built to protect the dome containing the radiation inside the bombed-out city. This dome converted the toxic waste into a usable source, which served as a major power supply for New Mobotropolis via land lines. The Iron King hoped to destroy both to cause major energy problems to the city. However, Sonic and Ken managed to trick the ox into destroying a non-important conduit, leaving the dome intact.

Despite this, much of Fort Acorn was in shambles. The forces there under the command of Tails' Father, Amadeus, along with the general himself suffered heavy damage to their ranks and sustained various injuries. For the time being, they were relocated to the city until the fort could be prepared. But this wasn't the only occurance happening with the heroes.

Long story short, Kor got tons of flak from the Council and a few others about how lethal his new project was. Despite his claims, it was considered "too dangerous to use and an unnecessary asset", as the Council put it. But the engineer wasn't about to give in, especially since he put too much time into making it. In his defense, he countered that it would be used against future threats, also adding that there may be more enemies out there willing to take over Eggman's place if the Iron Dominion was anything to go by. Also, in the event the heroes might be overwelmed it could effectively turn the tide. The Council took this into consideration and decided to allow Kor to continue with his project, but he would need to make some adjustments to it. Also, someone was entrusted to watch over him so he didn't deviate from their deal.

**-King Fredrick Airbase-**

"I really, _really_ hate this deal guys..." Kor said bitterly as he drew over his blueprint of the turret.

"You've said that 15 times now. Although I know you had good intentions, didn't you think 40mm guns was a bit...excessive?" Rotor said, studying the turret.

"I was thinking more of it being a tad bit overkill." Tails said. The young fox was working on his plane, the Tornado. However, unlike the one he and Sonic used before, Tails built this one entirely by himself.

"Yes and yes...but I believed it would be necessary. Just about anyone would run in fear if they saw these big guns, wouldn't even have to fire a shot. But I also wanted it to be an anti-air sentry as well..." The red fox said.

"Well Kor, at least you still get to do some home decor for your sentry." Sonic said.

"Hah hah...not the way I wanted it to be..."

"Aw chin up man. At least the Council let you continue to work on it. They could've easily shut it down." Sonic pointed out. Kor just frowned at him.

Sonic sweatdropped. "Ok not the best choice of words, but look at it this way: you could use the time to make improvements to it. Just try not to overdo it."

"I guess..." The engineer sighed as he continued to scribble. "Hmm...how does 25 sound?"

Rotor tapped his chin in thought. "Decreased size improves muzzle velocity while still being viable to damage aircraft...sounds good enough."

"Good, cause I wasn't planning on going any lower." Kor stated with a smirk.

As the two tech-wizards started remodelling thee sentry, Sonic strung up a conversation with his best friend. "Isn't that the same Tornado we used to find Knuckles when he became Enerjak?"

"It looks like it right? In reality, this one was built entirely by myself!" The fox smiled with pride.

"All by yourself?" Sonic asked, to which Tails nodded. "That's very impressive little bro, but what happened to the one Nicole built?"

"Oh, she just recycled the nanites."

"Heh, thought she might..." Sonic said, his mind going elsewhere.

"You ok Sonic? You look alittle distant..." Tails asked the blue hero.

"Yeah, just thinking about Sally."

"You and Aunt Sally seem to be growing closer than before. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Well, we were, but not so much right now..." Sonic told him. "Care to explain?" The kit asked.

While they were talking about Sonic and Sally's relationship, Kor and Rotor finished rebuilding the turret. It was in its level 3 phase, sporting 4 25mm bofors with a 4 tubed rocket battery that pops up from the main housing. "She's a beaut ain't she Rot?"

"Fully agree Kor, fully agree. So how does it function by the way?"

"It has a small electric generator that drives the computer and most of its functions. However, as of late I added something else to it." Kor stated. He opened up the sentry's main housing and revealing a power ring attached to the generator. "A ring huh? It's nice, but what is it used for?" Rotor asked.

"Well, since Ken was influenced by the Queen due to him having a cybernetic brain, it turns out he can resist her with a power ring head-band he uses as his crown. So, based on that, I figured it might work for my machines as well. I mean let's face it, who wants to have this thing pointed at them?" Kor gestured to the turret.

"I see your point. Hopefully, it does work. If not..." Rotor paused.

"Well, if it comes to that, I got a fail-safe that'll destroy it with the press of a button. However...I have yet to put some rings into the hornet. Being as big as it is, it'll need a few..." Kor explained.

"Well, you should have plenty of time to do that. At least the Dominion isn't staging another attack."

Right at that moment, both conversations were interrupted by an alarm sounding throughout the city. "What's going on now?" Sonic said to himself.

"Those are the enemy proximity alert alarms..." Kor said. Nicole partialy formed in front of the group. "Nicole? What's happening?"

"It's the Iron Dominion! They've amassed all of their forces outside the city. It seems they're staging a full-scale invasion!"

"They sure seem pretty confident if they aren't trying to hide..." Rotor said thoughtfully.

"Did you tell Sally and Ken about this?" Sonic asked.

"Already did. I'm also raising the shield..." Nicole stated.

Kor groaned in annoyance. "I'm getting sick of these guys...I'll see you guys later. I'm going up to the wall."

"What do you plan to do?" Rotor asked as the others looked on. "I'm gonna give them a 'warm welcome'..." The fox said, strapping his black steampunk-like goggles to his head, then grabbing his wrench and PDA.

**-Outside the City-**

The main force of the Iron Dominion, comprised of the Dark Egg Legion and Yagyu Ninjas, line the wall surrounding the city, eager to break and cause harm to those inside. Snively helps the Regina out of her egg mobile, though Jun shows disgust at this. "I'd watch how you treat him Regina. It is insulting to have our subordinates being too familiar with their leaders..."

"Relax Jun. Snively knows his place." Regina said. "Apparently you have yet to learn yours Iron Queen." Nicole suddenly spoke.

She projected herself outside the city in front of all her enemies. "You may have had us on the defensive for awhile now, but incase you forgot, our walls and shield are practically impenetrable. I suggest you vacate the area or we WILL use force..." She said.

"As Nicole stated, y'all have been gettin' on my nerves all week..." Kor spoke from atop the wall. "And to enforce her point..." The engineer pressed a button on his PDA. Immediately, 3 sections of the wall opened up to reveal the hidden sentries stowed inside of them. Machine guns and rocket launchers faced the Dominion, already unnerving some of the soldiers. "So, what will it be Iron Dominion? Either leave now, or become a red mist pasted into the ground." Kor said with a smirk.

While some of thier forces considered retreating, Regina could only laugh. "Hah! If you think your little toys will be of any use, you are sadly mistaken. Did you forget that I am a masterful technomage? I can exert my will over _anything_ that has an electrical pulse, be it machine or...your friend here." She boasted with a grin.

Nicole and Kor soon realized what that meant. "Wait. You don't mean...ah hell! Nicole you need to leave now!" Kor shouted.

Before any of them could react, Regina's staff glowed as she began to exert her will over the A.I. Nicole screamed in terror as she felt herself changing for the worse. "What's...what's happening?!"

"Foolish girl, I'm merely exerting my will over yours. You're under _my_ control now!" The Iron Queen boasted.

Nicole screamed as she fell under the Queen's control, resulting in her form being reconfigured. Kor could only watch in horror as this happened. When it was finished, Nicole was now wearing a black and purple dress similar to the one she always wore, but she now had a large red belt around her midsection, purple gloves, and her hair was now tied in a bun. To top is all off, she showed little emotion on her face. All that was left was a stone cold stare. "Iron Nicole is online, your majesty. Awaiting your command."

"Excellent! Be a dear and open up the city for us. Oh, and get rid of that _rat_ on the wall for opposing us." Regina said, casting a glance towards Kor.

The shield around the city dissapated, and Iron Nicole turned one of the sentries closest to Kor towards him. The engineer's shock was then replaced with rage. "You won't get away with this Iron Queen! I swear on my mother I'll get you for this!" Kor yelled.

"Such thoughtful _last_ words. However, if you survive, you'll make a nice addition to the legion." Snively said. The rocket battery fired at him, blasting the fox from his position and into a nearby tree. Although he wasn't dead, pain wrapped his body like a boa constrictor. "I was afraid of this happenin'..." The engineer coughed.

He looked up and saw the Dark Legion and Yagyu ninjas entering the city. Then, next thing he knew, he was swept away by a gust of wind. That wind, was Sonic. "You ok buddy?"

"Barely..."

"What happened?" Tails said, flying above them.

"Queen...took control of Nicole...the whole city's comprimised..."

"Great...let's get you to a doctor while we try to fight them off." Sonic said.

However, Kor shook his head. "No...just bring me to my personal hangar...got a dispenser always runnin'..."

"Alright Kor, if you say so..." The hedgehog said before the 3 went to the airbase.

However, half way there, a large iron dome suddenly closes above the city. All is dark until spotlights activate from the very top. Suddenly, they hear Iron Nicole's voice through the PA system. "Attention citizens of New Mobotropolis. For continuing to defy the Queen's rule, you are all under arrest. Any resistance will be met with severe punishment."

At this point, everyone in the city begins to panic. Citizens are shuffling everyone like ants driven into a frenzy. The heroes attempt to calm them but to no avail. With Kor still injured, Sonic can't focus on two things at once. "Tails! Take Kor to the airfield! I'm gonna find Sally in this mess!"

The fox nods before taking the engineer from his brother. Sonic rushes through the crowd and finds Sally along with Bunnie, Antoine, and Vector. Ken arrives at the same time he does. "I tried to get into the castle but everything has been sealed shut." The monkey claimed. Suddenly, the group is attacked by legionnaires and ninjas.

"Got any plans Sal? A little hard to fight in this blinding light!" Sonic said as he strikes down a legionnaire.

Tails suddenly flies in and attacks a Yagyu ninja. "Kor is safe. He's healing himself right now. Any ideas?"

"Our main issue here is that we lack any kind of control. With everyone in a panic and our enemies everywhere...maybe if we can free Nicole from the Iron Queen, she should be able to regain control of the city!" Sally said.

"Sounds like a plan. Question is: how? How are we supposed to free an _A.I._?" Ken asked. He is momentarily assaulted by a ninja, who is promptly batted away.

"We should be able to access the city's mainframe from Freedom H.Q." Tails suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Now lets get out of here before-" Sonic is cut off as the Iron King smahes the ground between the group, scattering them. "This guy must've taken classes on bad timing..." The hedgehog muttered.

Jun mocks Sally, who was dazed on the ground. "Spare yourself further embarrassment princess, and bow to your king!"

Sally only glares at the ox. "I wouldn't bow to Eggman, so what makes you think I will to you?"

"On that note, why don't you take a knee yourself?!" Ken says as he attacks the Iron King. Enraged, Jun swings his massive hammer at the monkey, who dodges and counters. "You 3 go! I'll keep him busy!"

"You sure you can handle this Ken?" Sonic asks.

"As much as I entrust you'll keep the princess safe." The cyborg replied. Sonic pauses for a moment before nodding. "Alright, good luck man."

Elsewhere, Vector and Mighty were evacuating as many citizens as they could through a warp ring to Angel Island. Bunnie and Antoine were covering them. Although Antoine insisted she should leave due to the Queen, Bunnie refused to leave her husband's side. Vector asked if they were sure they wanted to stay behind, to which they agreed. However, before the married couple could re-engage their foes, they're suddenly grabbed by the ground itself. "Despite the warning I have given you, you refuse to cooperate. You have forced me to take matters into my own hands..." Iron Nicole stated.

All around the city, people are now being grabbed by anything composed of nanites, which is pretty much the entire city. Trees, buildings, the ground, even parts of the wall were reforming into giant hands and catching anyone in reach. As Sonic, Tails, and Sally reach the airfield, Sonic runs into Kor's hangar. "Dude! Come on! We're getting out of here!"

"Just a sec Sonic! I'm packin' anything I can so these jerks don't get their paws on it!" Kor yelled. He was fully healed, his scratches having healed though there was a noticable scar on his side. Kor packed his new turret and dispenser into a toolbox before leading Hornet outside to take off.

The others get on the Tornado as Tails starts it up. "Hurry Tails! She'll notice us any second!" Sally yelled.

"Trying!" The kit yelled back.

The plane started up and rolled down the runway, only for the runway itself to grab it. Another nanite hand tries to grab Hornet as it takes off but it fires its main cannon to destroy it. Sonic leaps off the plane, spin-dashing through the nanite hand holding the plane, then rebounds off another that attempted to capture him. He lands back on the wing as the aircraft takes to the air.

"Nice moves Sonic, but now we need to find a way out of here..." Sally said, looking at the dome for any opening.

"If we can't find one we'll just make one!" Kor stated, following them on the gunship's head. Ken then catches up to the group on his magic cloud.

"What happened to the Iron Dork?" Sonic asked.

"I believe her name was Amy?"

"Ah, I see." Sonic said in amusement.

"I don't see any other way...Kor! Make an opening!" Sally yelled.

The engineer nods and taps the drone. Hornet unloads a missile into the side of the dome, creating a large enough hole for it and the Tornado to fly through. They make it out just before the newly-made entrance closes.

Everyone stares back at the place they once called home. None of them expected the city to fall so easily. None of them even considered Nicole to be susceptable to the Queen's magic. They had never felt so humiliated and embarrassed, particularly Kor.

Ken notices and floats near the drone. "You ok?"

"Do I _look_ ok? I got shot at by my best friend, we've been evicted from our home, and all of our friends are probably being held hostage right now...me and Nicole spent _months_ making that city to what it was today...after I installed those sentry batteries, and with Nicole providing the shield, I thought we had a safe city, a place all of us could feel protected...but despite all that, it fell in _minutes_! I've built sentry nests that lasts for _hours_ longer than what just happened back there!..." The engineer said through gritted teeth.

"I should've just opened fire on them all...why did we even think to give them a chance to run? They'd just come back...yeah there would've been TONS of bodies piled up but at least we would have kept our home...and Nicole wouldn't be under the control of that fucking bitch..." Kor said the last part bitterly.

The others look sullenly at him before Sally speaks out. "Kor, we'll find a way to break her free of the Queen's control. I promise you on that. Once we do, we'll figure out a way to get our city back. First, we need to get to Freedom HQ. Hopefully there will be something there that could allow us to reach her..."

"I hope your right Sally. I really hope...if this plan fails, we've lost completely..." Kor stated, staring at the ground passing below them.

**A/N: And that wraps up this chapter. Really enjoyed writing this one, and giving Kor abit of a BSOD moment along with a violent outburst. I'm likely to give him another one soon, but with more say, "shooting someone's brains out" fashion. Ah well, hope everyone enjoys this one.**


	23. Taking back the AI

**A/N: Here comes 23! Last time, the heroes have been forcibly evicted from their city. The Iron Queen took control of Nicole and is now using her to gather up any citizens and heroes found in the city. However, a small group managed to escape with a plan to take back control from the Iron Dominion. Will they succeed and begin steps to bring back freedom? Or will they be out of the war completly? Time to find out.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie Comics except my OC.**

After flying in silence for 10 minutes, the 5 heroes reached Freedom HQ. It seems some of Kor's depression rubbed off on Sally, so Sonic and Ken took it upon themselves to cheer her up. In the meantime, the two foxes set about hacking into the city's database via the main computer. Unfortunately, they weren't having much luck.

"Ugh...seems Nicole's already started securing the mainframe. It's gonna be hard trying to crack this thing open..." Kor groaned.

"Don't worry. Maybe if we can troubleshoot a way around the defenses, we might have a chance of gaining access to her." Tails said optimistically.

"_If _we can get through to her..." The engineer replied.

A minute later, the others came into the lab.

"Any luck boys?" Sally asked.

"Unfortunately no. While we're able to access some of the mainframe, we keep getting lock out from other important parts..." Tails said, still typing into the computer.

"How about we use that digitizer we used to get into Gerald Robotnik's diary?" Sonic suggested.

Tails stopped for a second before smiling. "Great idea Sonic! I'll go set it up."

As Tails ran out of the lab, Kor just looked confused. "A digitizer?"

"You haven't seen it yet?" Sonic asked.

"No. This is the first I've heard of it." Kor said.

"Oh yeah, you weren't around back then. Well, the digitizer is this machine that can transport us into the digital world. We used it to uncover stuff in Robotnik's diary, his grandfather that is." The hedgehog explained.

"Ah...what exactly do you plan to do?" Kor asked.

"Easy. We'll upload ourselves into the mainframe and deal with this directly!" Sonic said with a grin.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Ken asked.

"It probably is since it'll likely attract the Queen's attention...on that note, I want you and Kor to keep guard while we handle things in there Ken." Sally replied.

"No can do Sal..." The engineer responded.

"But Kor...you're one of the best people we have when it comes to defense. If they manage to find us here-" Sally started but Kor cut her off.

"If they come here, there's already more than enough to keep them at bay. Hornet'll probably scare them off, and I'll give my sentry to Tails incase things get dicey. Plus...I really want to stop Nikki from bein' that queen's pawn...you saw what she did when we left. God knows what she's doing now, and I still feel responsible for not actin' quick enough..." The fox clenched his hands into fists as he stared at the floor.

The others stood there thoughtfully before Sally gave her answer. "Alright, you can come. But are you sure Tails knows how to handle that device?"

"He's seen me work before. Shouldn't be hard to handle." Kor stated.

After that, everyone set their plan into action. Tails finished setting up the digitizer and pointed it at the 3. "I'll send you guys as deep as I can into the system. After that, you'll have to work your way in from there."

"Sounds cool little bro. Fire when ready!" Sonic smiled.

"Hang on." Kor said and tossed Tails his wrench. "If you need to just tap the toolbox with that. Sentry'll built itself in a few seconds."

Tails nodded. "Ready?" The 3 nodded before Tails fired up the machine.

The 3 heroes were struck with a green beam and soon disappeared from the room. Tails then went to the computer and uploaded them into the system.

**-New Mobotropolis Mainframe-**

After being disoriented from the beam, Sonic, Sally, and Kor found themselves in front of a large gate in the digital world. It's appearance was similar to New Mobotropolis' outer walls.

"So what are we looking at exactly?" Sonic asks.

"This is just how we see the defenses Nicole set up." Sally told them.

"At least it's not lined with sentries..." Kor mused.

"Well then, I'll just see myself busting right through it!" The hedgehog replied. However, before he could wind up his attack, the gate opened.

Standing before the 3, was Iron Nicole herself. "While a digital frontal assault was not anticipated, it was within range of predictability."

"Im guessing you meant 'that was clever', which is was thank you." Sonic said with a smug look.

"Be as it may, you 3 are under arrest for your continued resistance to the Queen. You have the option to surrender now, or I will use force." Nicole said coldy.

However, Sally tries to reason with her."Nicole please. We know you're stronger than this! Most couldn't override your code in the past. Tails, Rotor, Eggman, and even A.D.A.M. all failed to break you! Not sure if Kor tried-"

"Never considered it..." Kor said.

"Anyway, if those guys couldn't gain control of you, the Iron Queen shouldn't be any different!" Sally pleaded.

Nicole stood in silence for a moment. "...That statement is valid. No one has ever been able to override this system. It's purposes were always for the good of...everyone..." The A.I. began to have a headache.

Sally grabs her hand. "That's it Nicole. Fight it! You can do it!" Nicole opens her eyes slightly. Instead of being red, they were green. "S-Sally?"

However, before Sally could encourage her futher, Sonic notices trouble. Big trouble. "Uh guys? We have a problem."

The 3 watch in horror as a giant apperation of the Iron Queen looms over the digital city. "It seems we have a few _viruses_ in the system." She spoke. "I do not tolerate you vermin trying to hack into _my_ city! Prepare to meet your end!"

With that, the Queen blasted a large laser at the group. Sonic snatches up Sally and Kor before jumping out of the way. Nicole is unhurt, but she's left clutching her head.

Sonic runs to the top of Digital Castle Acorn. "How the hell did she get in here?!" Kor asked.

"No clue. The city doesn't have its own digitizer." Sally said, confused as well.

**-New Mobotropolis-**

Regina was sitting in the Acorn Council's Chambers, looking at the digital world via the orb of her staff. Snively was next to her. "Incase you dearies forgot, I am a masterful technomage. I can easily project my power into the digital world."

"I can't see what's happening..." Snively whined.

"Snively, don't bother me while I'm busy! Go somewhere else!" Regina ordered. The short overlander groaned before walking out the room.

**-Back to the Mainframe-**

"Got any plans Sal?" Sonic asked.

"If you two could distract the Queen, I can try to get Nicole to resist the Queen's control." Sally said. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go Kor." Sonic said before curling into a ball. He launches himself directly at the Queen's face, but to his shock, his attack is deflected.

"Ugh, what happened?" Sonic asks as he lands on his feet.

To his complete surprise, Nicole comes out of a spin-dash of her own. "Within this domain, my power is unlimited...surrender now hedgehog or you will face my wrath."

"We'll see about that!" Sonic said, charging up another attack.

Each time Sonic attempts to attack the Queen, Nicole intercepts him with his own attack. Kor and Sally watch as the two battle.

"What happened to the part where I handled Nicole?..." Sally asked, watching nervously.

Just then, a large sentry gun materializes in front of them.

"We got bigger problems Sally. Run!" Kor yelled.

The two duck behind cover as a hail of lasers and rockets fly after them.

"Still think teaching her how to be a sentry was a good idea?!" Sally asked. Kor looks at her with an annoyed look. "Shut up..."

**-Freedom HQ-**

While the others were busy with hacking, Tails and Ken watch what goes on from the computer.

"Any clue what's happening?" Ken asked.

"Looks like they're fighting against Nicole's defenses, and it's not looking good..."Tails explained.

Ken frowned, then stood in thought for a few moments. "Does Nicole physically exist in the city...?"

"Well, technically. The bulk of her coding is in the city's mainframe." Tails said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Where's the central hub located?" The monkey asked.

"Below the castle, but it's not like it will do us any good right now. Why do you ask?" The kit didn't get a reply for a moment. "Ken?" He turned and noticed the cyborg was no longer in the lab.

Looking around, Tails catches him outside walking away from the base.

"Hey Ken! Where are you going?!" The fox yells as he catches up to him.

"I'm going to go put Nicole out of her misery..." He stated coldly.

Tails was shocked at this and immediately blocks Ken's path. "Why would you even consider that?!"

"The Queen used me to destroy the Dragon Kingdom Freedom Fighters, and I refuse to let Nicole be used in the same way!" Ken angrily retorted.

"She won't be for much longer! Sonic, Sally, and Kor will figure out a way to save her!" Tails countered.

"The Queen took full control of me because my body is _partially_ robotic! If she could control a cyborg so easily, what hope would a fully digital being like her have?! It's not easy but it has to be done..." Ken pushed Tails aside as he continued on.

However, Tails grabs his atom-bat. "We're heroes Ken! We do what's right now matter how difficult it may be..."

"It's not the matter of it being difficult. It's about this whole thing being _impossible_!" Ken spat in irritation.

"It wasn't impossible to save you or Bunnie from the Queen! If you thought all of this was hopeless, why did you even come all the way out here anyway?" Tails retorted.

"It's because I didn't want to have to destroy Nicole..." Ken said with guilt.

"Well if you don't want to, then just wait til the others find a way to free her. Or do you think they won't succeed?" The kit tells him.

They stare at each other for a minute before Ken pinches the bridge of his noise in frustration. "You make it sound like it's so simple..." "I never said it was..." Tails said.

He looks at the wrench he still held in his hand. "...If Kor heard you say what you said a minute ago, he would've put a huge dent in your head..."

"What do you mean Tails?..." Ken asked, still stressed. "Well, believe it or not, Kor cares more about Nicole than he lets on..." Tails told him.

**-In the Mainframe-**

Kor and Sally hid behind a boulder from the sentry's fire.

"We won't be able to move anywhere unless we get rid of that sentry!" Sally said.

"Im thinking right now. Ugh...wish I took my gun with me...wait..." Kor said as realization dawned on him.

"What is it?" Sally asked.

"If Nicole has no limitations here, what say we don't either?" Kor told her.

"What do you mean by that?" Sally asked, still confused.

"Hold onto that thought ma'am..." Kor said as he sat in thought for a moment. In that instant, a large minigun materialized in front of him. Its appearance was similar to Heavy's standard weapon. "Yes! It worked!"

"What the...what did you do?" Sally asked, even more confused now.

"Think about it. The digital realm is somewhat like being in a dream world. If Nicole can enhance herself to be as fast as Sonic, then we could should be able to enhance ourselves." The fox explained.

"Hmm, I think I see what you're talking about." Sally said with a smile.

She draws a simple line on the ground next to the boulder, causing a digital wall to form from it. However, the Queen blasts it to pieces.

"Hah! Do you really think you can build a firewall in _my_ system?" She taunted.

"Technically it's my system..." Kor muttered. "Think you can do that trick again Sal?" The engineer asked.

The chipmunk nods and builds another wall, this one larger. The sentry stops firing for a moment, before Kor pops out and unloads the minigun's ammo into the turret. They fire at each other for 2 minutes straight without stopping, but in the end, Kor outguns it. It took all of the minigun's ammunition to destroy it.

"Didn't think that sentry would be _that_ sturdy..." The engineer said as he drops the weapon.

Sonic regroups with them, having gotten away from Nicole for the time being. "Anyone got a plan? I can't even get close to the Queen with Nicole being in the way..."

"We do Sonic. Sorry Sal but I'm gonna take yer place. You and Sonic distract the Queen. I'll take care of Nikki." Kor told them.

"You sure you know what you're doing Kor?" Sally asked.

"Yeah. Just let me drag her away from the fight and I'll handle her from then." The fox said with confidence.

"Right...um, could you make a weapon for me? No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to do it like you do..." Sally asked.

"He did what now?" Sonic asked, confused.

"Yeah, hang on..." Kor closed his eyes, and a second later a blade sword spawned.

"Thanks." Sally said, grabbing the weapon.

"Nice trick! How'd you do that?" Sonic asked.

"I'll explain later. Just go!" Kor commanded. The two nodded before springing into action.

As Sonic and Sally ran into the open, the Queen shot another blast at them. Sonic dodged while Sally constructed another wall. "You might have control of our city, but your reflexes are still slow!" Sonic taunted.

"I'll show you vermin!" Regina shouted as she sent another blast at him.

Nicole was about to head over to intercept the hedgehog when a voice got her attention.

"You know Iron Nicole, for a so-called perfect system, you sure seem to have trouble dealing with a 'simple' hedgehog. It seems you might be a bit out of date." Kor said with a smug look on his face.

This only angered the A.I. as she spun towards him. Kor's ears fell flat against his head. _"Why did I say that?..." _

Nicole nailed him him his chest, knocking the wind out of him and sent him back 70 feet. "Do you submit?" She asked without any hint of emotion in her voice.

However, Kor just chuckled as he stood back up. "I've been hit with worse. Don't be thinkin' I'll bow to your so-called Queen any time soon."

"Understood. You must be eliminated then." Nicole stated before curling into another spin-dash, though this time she was charging up her attack.

Kor grew nervous. "If I don't time this right, I'm screwed..." He muttered.

He closed his eyes for a moment and spawned a wrench similar to the one he normally used, but it was slightly bigger in size. Nicole took off at him full speed, but to his surprise, his cybernetic eyes were able to keep track of her movement, abeit barely. _"Huh. Thanks Nikki." _He thought_._

As she neared, he gripped the wrench with both hands and raised it above his head. "Sorry about this..." Kor muttered. Right as she was about to hit him, he brought the blunt weapon down and struck her right on the head, stopping her completely and driving her into the floor. Nicole lied flat on the ground, disoriented from the blow. Thinking quick, Kor used his wrench to draw a box around their position. "Best way to deal with a strong individual? Isolate them from their support..." He said to himself.

Once Kor sealed the top of the newly constructed room, and with Nicole now isolated from the Queen's system, her form reverts back to its usual self.

Kor looks at her worriedly. "Nicole? Are you...well you again?" He sighs in relief when he gets a response.

"Ow...my head..." The A.I. said, holding her head in pain. She looks up at the engineer. "K-Kor?" She tries to stand but still feels weak. Kor grabs her hand and helps her up.

"It's gonna be alright Nikki. I managed to isolate you from the rest of the system. You ok?" The engineer asked.

"No...I just downloaded the logs of my previous actions...I feel...furious? Mortified? Emotions are difficult to label when you actually experience them..." The A.I. said with regret.

"Well, my label would be you feeling royally pissed at the Queen right now." Kor said with a chuckle.

Nicole laughed with him, but then noticed the scar on his side. "...That scar...that was from me wasn't it?...I'm so sorry Kor...I was unable to control myself...I-I thought you might have..." She cried into his chest.

Kor rubs her back. "Don't worry about it Nicole. I've suffered through worse. Heck, I was blinded like over a week ago. But no simple rocket blast will be enough to end me. Sorry about whacking you on the head though..."

"It's alright. I kinda needed that..." She said sheepishly.

"Good thing is we have some control over the city now..." Kor said optimistically.

"While that is true, I still need time to recover...I've built up defenses within myself to resist the Queen's magic, but even if we drive them out today she has plenty of forces at her disposal, and I fear they'll retaliate stronger than they did today...they also still have assets in the Dragon Kingdom." The A.I. explained.

"Good point..." Kor sat in thought for a moment.

However they could still hear the sounds of battle outside the walls.

"We gotta get out of here quick. Sonic and Sally won't last long against that bitch...tell you what Nikki. You keep up the ruse you're still under her control while the rest of us go cut off her support in the other continent." Kor told her.

"That's what I was thinking." Nicole said with a smile before reconfiguring herself to her Iron Dominion appearance. She then hugs the engineer. "Thank you Kor...thank you for helping me become myself again..."

Kor chuckles and hugs back. "To be honest, it was Sonic's idea to come in here. You should thank him."

"Noted. But for you however..." The A.I. then plants a kiss on his cheek, leaving him stunned. "Good luck." She winks.

"Y-you too." Kor said with a blush on his face.

Nicole then destroys the room. "Unauthorized access is denied." She stated in a monotone voice before purging the fox from the system.

She then turns and runs over to where the battle was raging. Sonic and Sally were now exhausted from battling the Queen.

"I hope Kor managed to get through to her...I don't know if we can keep this up much longer..." Sonic panted.

"Given how long they've been gone, he might have..." Sally said with hope.

Regina towers over the duo, taunting them. "Face it hedgehog. You have hope for victory in a domain _I_ control." She charges up another blast. "While it was fun toying with you, farewell 'heroes'."

However, before she could destroy them, Nicole purged them from the system as well.

Angrily, Regina glares at the A.I. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"All intruders have been dumped from the system your highness. The city is under your control once more." Nicole stated with a cold stare.

Regina groans. "While I was hoping to crush them myself, good job my puppet..." She then exits the system.

Nicole glares at where Regina was. "I'm not your mindless toy anymore..." She mutters to herself.

**-Freedom HQ-**

The two heroes found themselves back in the lab.

"What happened?" Sonic asked.

"Nicole must have removed us from the system." Sally told him.

A second later, Tails and Ken re-entered the lab.

"You guys alright?" Tails asked.

"Yeah, Nicole removed us from the system before the Queen got to us." Sonic said.

They noticed Kor standing absent-mindedly near them, holding a spot on his cheek. "Kor?" Sally asked.

He stiffened alittle after being taken out of his thoughts. "Yeah Sal?"

"Did you manage to get through to her buddy?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah. Nicole's no longer under the Queen's control. However she'll be keeping up the ruse so they won't suspect anything." Kor told with a smile.

Everyone sighed in relief.

"Nice going Kor." Sonic patted his back. "By the way, how come you keep holding your cheek? Did she hit you hard or something?"

"No, but she hit me with somethin' though..." A visible blush formed on the engineer's face.

"Aaaah I see." Sonic chuckled.

"Hah...but here's the important issue pardners. I dicussed the possibility of driving the Dominion out with her, but currently they have too many forces for us to handle. Not only that, they still have plenty of support in the Dragon Kingdom. So, we figured the best thing to is do is to head over to the DK to break their support. That way, when we come back to our city, they won't have cards to fall back on once we kick em' out." Kor explained to the group.

"It'll be a risky endevour. I know where 3 of the clans of the clans reside, barring the Shinobi Clan as secrecy is their mainstay...not only that, the clans might not be willing to negotiate peace..." Ken said in thought.

"Be as it may, we have to try Ken. We've gotten this far, things may work out in our favor." Sally assured him.

"And, if they give us any trouble, I'll just give them a good ol' Sonic Spin!" The hedgehog boasted.

"I second that notion." Tails agreed.

Ken smiled. "Well, if you guys are up for it, I'll give it a shot."

"Then it's settled. Pack your bags boys, we're heading for the Dragon Kingdom ASAP." Sally said.

After spending minutes preparing, the group was ready to head out. Well, almost.

"Hey Tails, that plane of yours got a second seat?" Kor asked.

"Yeah. How come?" Tails inquired.

"If we're going to make peace with these clans, we can't afford to be threatening. If they see Hornet they might freak out or somethin', so I'll leave him here. I'll take my sentry with me though." He explained.

"Good point." Tails agreed.

"Hey Kor! Sure you don't want to ride on the wing?" Sonic asked.

"No thanks." Kor chuckled.

"Aw come on it's fun on there! Just feelin' the wind in your fur. Besides you rode on your robot's head on the way here." Sonic pointed out.

"That's because it has a larger surface area than the wing of a plane. Maybe next time." Kor told him.

Sonic shrugged. "Alright man, but you're missing out."

"Everyone ready?" Tails asked. After getting confirmation, Ken took off on his cloud with the Tornado and its passengers in pursuit.

Although the heroes passed the first hurdle of their adventure, they had many trials ahead of them if they wanted to turn the tide on the Iron Dominion.

**A/N: And that's all for chapter 23. While writing this, I was debating on whether Sally or Kor should help Nicole turn, but in the end I decided to let Kor do it as a way of helping them get closer. Now, with Nicole back to her old self, the group can now focus on breaking the Dominion's support overseas. Now normally I don't ask for reviews, but now I'm curious as to what you may think of all of this. So please leave a review if you feel like it.**


	24. Breaking the Iron Curtain Pt 1

**A/N: Took a lot of time to finish this, with finals interfering and dealing with other things I didn't have time to write. But, since I managed to finish, time for chapter 24! With Nicole back on the heroes' side, the group of 5 set out for the Dragon Kingdom to break the Iron Dominion's hold on the region. Will they succeed? Will they fail? And will Sonic and Kor get over the jet lag from flying for hours on end? Let's find out.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie Comics except my OC.**

After a long 15 hour flight across the ocean, the band of heroes reached the Dragon Kingdom. Along the way, Ken informed them of the 4 clans they would have to persuade: the Gossamer Clan, a clan comprised of spiders who have a way of predicting key events well before they happen; the Yagyu clan, a clan of bats who used to be well-known assassins. However, with the death of their bride, word has it they've become nothing but petty theives, along with being one of the main forces in New Mobotropolis. Next is the Raiju clan, a clan of lynxes who pride themselves in skill and strength. Because of this, they are also the most aggressive. Finally, there's the Shinobi clan, the clan Espio hails from. From what Ken told them, they are mostly sworn to secrecy and stealth due to their limited numbers. No one has a clue as to where their clan resides.

The group arrived at Storm-top village just around sunset. Everyone stretched their limbs after the long trip, bones jolting from having actual movement in hours.

"Boy howdy, I can't wait for the _long trip back_..." Kor said begrudgingly.

"Don't worry Kor. Hopefully, if things go smoothly here, we have something to look forward to when we get back." Ken replied, arching his back a little.

Sonic whistled as he looked around. "Sure brings back good memories, right Tails?"

"Yep. Been forever since we've been here." Tails replied.

"We aren't exactly here for sight-seeing boys." Sally pointed out.

"True, but we could afford to chill for a sec." Sonic told her.

"Greetings Sonic! It has been many suns since we last met!" A new voice yelled out.

The group turned to see an elderly lion standing atop a set of steps leading into large temple.

"Yo, Li Yuen! Long time no see!" Sonic said, already having sped up the steps to greet the village elder.

"Indeed it has. I see you have also brought some friends, new and old." Li Yuen said.

"Nice to meet you sir. I'm Princess Sally." She bowed.

"And ah'm Kor Royce." The fox said, copying Sally's gesture.

"I see. It is always nice to greet new faces here." The lion then noticed Ken standing a few feet away. He was still uncomfortable about being there given the circumstances.

"Come now King of the Free People. I understand the doubts that lie within you, yet I sense great potential! We know the acts you committed were not of your own accord, and seeing you here means you are ready set things right. But, the first thing you need to do is learn to forgive yourself." Yuen finished, placing a hand on the monkey's shoulder.

Ken looked up and gave a sincere smile. "T-Thank you sir." Ken said, bowing in respect.

"Now, shall I give you all the grand tour?" The lion asked, with everyone else in agreement.

They were shown the various relics in the village, including the Temple of the Golden Lotus. Ken and Sally had walked off to talk in private while the rest continued with the tour. Inside they were some statues of dragons .

"You know, I didn't think Dragons actually existed." Kor said.

"You haven't met Dulcy yet, right?" Sonic asked. "Who?" Kor asked.

"I'll tell ya more later." Sonic told him.

"So what's the story of this place Mr. Li?" Tails asked.

"It dates back before recorded time, my friend. It is said this land was the birthplace of dragons. However, they were a young race, and they misused their immense power. They warred with each other for generations, and the land paid the price for their recklessness. In time they saw the ruination of their fighting, and vowed to leave in peace to settle throughout the world." Yuen explained.

"Kinda sounds like humanity, except they never learned, much..." Kor said with some guilt.

"Before they departed, they left the prophecy of a time when turmoil would return to divide the land, and the Golden Lotus King would bring peace and unity to the Dragon Kingdom." Yuen finished.

Sonic, Tails, and Kor they gasped in amazement at the large statue before them. It was a statue of Monkey Khan sitting legs crossed as if he was a peaceful overseer.

_"I didn't think much of this prophecy when I first heard it, but now it's hard to ignore...you've got your work cut out for you Khan."_ Sonic thought to himself.

Before the group could continue any further, they heard a scream. Wondering what it was, they ran outside, only to find several Gossamer ninjas waiting for them.

"Where did these guys come from?" Kor asked.

"Don't know, but we're gonna find out sooner or later. Tails, go find Khan and Sally, we'll handle these jokers." Sonic said.

Tails nodded and flew off while Sonic and Kor prepared for a fight. Kor moved his hand to his toolbox when Sonic stopped him.

"We don't want to hurt them. We gotta keep a good impression." Sonic told him. The engineer nodded and settled for using his wrench.

The two dueled with the ninjas as they came: Sonic performing his signature attack and kicking at every opportunity whilst Kor used his wrench to keep their attackers at bay. At one point the fox noticed he was being surrounded, so he changed his mechanical hand into its laser form to disperse the group. After a couple minutes, they noticed Tails hadn't come back yet.

"Tails sure is taking his sweet time findin' em'..." Kor groaned.

"If I know Tails they would've been here in seconds...think they got captured?" The blue blur asked.

"Most likely...is there no end to these guys? For every one of them we knock back 2 more take his place." Kor stated.

"Quickly you two! Into the temple!" Li Yuen called to them.

Sonic grabbed Kor before rushing back to the Golden Lotus Temple.

Yuen quickly shut the door. "This place was used to greet travelers, but now it may be enough to keep the Gossamer Clan out long enough for us to formulate a plan."

"I would have a rock solid plan but unfortunately it would involve us being on the bad end of their leader..." Kor sighed.

"In more important news, do you know what happened to our friends pops?" Sonic asked.

"Im afraid they have been captured. I apologize...I've been a poor steward..." The old lion bowed his head in shame.

"Ah don't sweat it. We can still make this work, right Kor?" Sonic said optimistically. "Yeah...and we got company." Kor said, looking up at the windows.

Two Gossamer ninjas were perched in the opening. "Sorry fellas but the windows were just cleaned. Come back next week ok?" Sonic taunted.

"This is a sacred place! You cannot desecrate it with violence!" Li Yuen told the ninjas. However, to his shock, Sonic spindashed one of the ninjas to the wall. "I said-!"

"Relax pops, we arent fighting. We're just having a friendly chat, _right_?" Sonic gestured to the ninja, who was forced to comply. Kor kept a steady eye on the other.

"I've tangled with some of you guys in the past, and I'm noting a serious lack of weaponry. Since you guys are pulling punches, why?" Sonic asked.

"Our master learned of your arrival and decreed you would meet her. There was no guarantee you would come willingly or peacefully. As such, we were sent to make assurances..." The ninja spoke.

"So attacking and kidnapping our friends was the best you could do to get our cooperation? Why not just import a chili dog recipe?" Sonic retorted.

"It is not our place to question our master." The ninja retorted.

"Ok, but to be frank, you should watch yerselves on how you greet someone. I ain't sure how things go over here but back where I'm from, it would spell dire results for ya if you just openly attacked." Kor pointed out.

"I see...our apologies. We will lead you to our abode." The ninja told them.

"Alright. See ya later old man!" Sonic called to Yuen. "You're simply leaving with them? Just like that?" Yuen questioned.

"Sure! At this rate, what's the worst that could happen?" Sonic stated. "Great, now you _know_ somethin' bad will happen..." Kor said amusingly.

After following the Gossamer ninjas for a short time, the two western mobians arrive at a large temple that leads into the side of a large cliff. In front of the temple, they see Ken, Sally, and Tails tied up and guarded by two ninjas.

"Hey guys! Sorry we took so long." Sonic greeted.

"How'd you guys end up captured in the first place?" Kor asked.

"They ambushed us as were still walking among the village grounds...then they grabbed Tails when he arrived..." Ken told them.

"You have agreed to meet our master with obedience and humility?" One of the ninjas asked.

"Yeah, cause those are totally my key traits. Let my friends go and we'll hear what she has to say without a fuss." Sonic smirked.

"Very well." With that, the ninjas cut the binds holding the other heroes.

"You guys ok?" Kor asked.

"Yeah we're good." Tails spoke.

"Speak for yourself...being captured so _easily _is only half as embarrassing as being rescued by you guys..." Ken said in an upset tone.

"At least you guys managed to come here peacefully...we didn't even get a chance to speak!" Sally bemoaned.

"Well they weren't sure if we'd come willingly or otherwise. Anyway lets get this over with." Ken said and walked inside, the others following.

After followed a straight path, they meet a female ninja sitting atop a pesdastal in a meditative position. While the other ninjas wore black clothing, hers was a shade of gray. She also had symbolic web on the forehead of her cloak that was the same as the symbol on the wall above her. This, was the Bride of Endless Reach. "I am the Bride of Endless Reach, bride to the House of the Gossamer Clan, she who knows the course of fate, she who can obtain all things."

Sally and Ken bowed with respect. "I am Princess Sally Alicia Acorn, daughter of King Maximillian and leader of the Freedom Fighters."

"I am Monkey Khan...the King of the Free People, appointed defender of the people of the Dragon Kingdom without a clan to call their own."

"I'm Kor Theron Royce, former mercenary of Reliable Excavation and Demolition and co-host of New Mobotropolis." The fox said, imitating their actions.

"Yo, I'm Sonic!" "Name's Tails. I'm with him." Both responded with a smug look on their faces.

Sally groaned in annoyance. "You two could at least show some respect!" She whispered with a glare.

"Ah, the Acorn Princess. We would very much like to hear your account of our dearest daughter, Uma Arachnis."

Sally paused in shock. "She, was one of yours?"

"Wait, I thought you said you've never been to the Dragon Kingdom." Ken stated. "She hasn't pardner." Kor said.

"She was a minion of the evil wixard Ixis Naugus and helped him escape from the zone of silence long ago. Later, she worked with a former warlord named Kodos to steal the Sword of Acorns, but in the end she turned on him and helped me retrieve it..." The princess explained. "Unfortunately, she died from radiation poisoning, but it turns out she laid a clutch of eggs beforehand. Her children later stole the sword from us, but they were captured by Eggman and sent to his Egg Grapes...I'm sorry but we couldn't save them before they-"

"Enough." The Bride stopped her. "What was the fate of the Sword of Acorns?"

"It was destroyed before it fell into the wrong hands." Sally replied.

"As it was spun, so it has been done! Our heart breaks for the loss of our daughter and her children, but it is mended anew with news of their fates fulfilled!" Endless Reach rejoiced.

Sonic and Tails just stood confused. "As fascinating as this is, could you simplify it for us?" The blue blur asked.

"Uma, and indeed, all of the Arachne have always been our most gifted readers." The Bride told them.

She began leading them down a tunnel whilst explaining the process to the two confused mobians.

"Hey Sally, this Sword of Acorns...was it like a family hierloom or something?" Kor whispered.

"Something like that...created from the Source of All, it weilds a wide variety of magical properties. However, because of this and how powerful it was, if it fell into the wrongs hands..."

"Riiight..." Kor said. He was about to question her further but noticed a gigantic web situated before them. A few ninjas appeared to be mending to it.

"You are the first outsiders to look upon the Web of Fate. Woven by our first Bride, its strands foretell of what is to come...if you know how to read it." Endless Reach explained. "It tells of our future prosperity. It set Uma on her mission, and it even foretold of your arrival."

After she explained, something about her words didn't sit well with Ken. "Now wait just a minute! If you can foresee all of this, why have you been fighting?! Why have my people been made to suffer if you're already so well informed?! Why aren't you sharing your _wisdom_ with the rest of the Dragon Kingdom?!" He said with a glare.

"Uh, Khan? Maybe now isn't the best time to-" Sonic started but the bride cut him off.

"It is _our_ web, woven by _our_ bride and read by _our_ chosen. It's not something for the rest of the Dragon Kingdom. The Web of Fate tells of key events to come, but not the road to take. We can't use it for something so base as day-to-day tactics. Furthermore, we believe this "king", born in another land, powered by Eggman's gifts and given title only to clanless peoples is forgetting he's talking to the Gossamer Clan's Bride!" She retorted.

Everyone was nervous as Ken and Endless Reach glared at each other for a minute before Sally intervened.

"Ken, the Dragon Kingdom is a massive land. The unorganized "free people" can live alongside the other clans without issue right?"

The monkey cyborg sighed. "Yes...all they want is to live in peace."

"And Ms. Endless Reach, you said the web doesn't show you the way to reach each point ahead. If that's the case, couldn't there always be a peaceful option?" Sally asked.

"Perhaps." The Bride responded.

"Then wouldn't it be the effort, even if it wasn't the fastest route? Your clan has already lost Uma and six young members who never got to see their homeland..." Sally pointed out.

"Nothin's perfect, and everyone knows ya can't rush perfection..." Kor mused.

"That...is very true...but," the bride gestured to Ken, "would the King of the Free People recognize the Gossamer Clan and its land? Or would we be opening ourselves to a new "King of the Four Houses?..."

Ken bowed his head. "The people only want peace. As King of the Free People, I will be sure to honor your clan and its claims. You have my _word of honor_..."

"You really think she's just going to buy 'your word'?" Sonic mused.

Ken turned toward the hedgehog with a glare. "I don't know how you do things over _there_, but in the Dragon Kingdom one's "word of honor" is sacred!"

"Alright alright! Consider me culturally enlightened." Sonic replied with a smirk.

With that, Ken turned his attention back to Endless Reach. "I'm all there is to fight for these lands. There are no Freedom Fighters here...if there's going to be peace, your clan will have to make the first gesture."

After a minute in thought, the bride turned towards the web. "We shall consult the web and see what it directs."

As she was reading the strands, or at least what it appeared she was doing, Ken whispered to the others. "We're in the heart of their fortress. If she says no, we'll be in _deep_ trouble."

"Well if it comes to that, we'll keep the hundred limb brigade at bay while Tails gets Sal to safety." Sonic suggested, making Tails nervous.

"If it comes to that, we stand together to the end." Sally told the hedgehog.

"Given how nice these guys are, I'd really hate to shoot them up if it comes to that..." Kor said.

"Can you keep the thoughts of bloodshed at bay for one day please?..." Ken sighed.

"The path you ask of us is fraught with peril, and I see dark days to come if we choose it..." She said, making everyone tense. "But it should ensure peace and prosperity for all clans and all people in the end. We shall reject the Iron Dominion and you will have our support. You have _my_ word of honor." She stated, smiling under her cloak.

Sally and Ken bowed with respect while Sonic and Tails high-fived each other. "Thank you, on behalf of the Republic of Acorn." Sally said.

"We will be watching with great interest, King of the Free People." Endless Reach replied, also bowing in respect.

As the others began to leave, Kor had something on his mind. "Um, Ms. Endless Reach, if you don't mind me askin'. Since you are are able to read of key events to come and whatnot, did it every say anythin' about my old "friend" Gray coming to this world, causing chaos and stuff with me rippin' his spine out in the end?"

The Bride stood in thought for a minute before replying. "In a way, yes. Many months ago the Web of Fate foretold of an evil man siding with Eggman to gain control. It also foretold he would meet his end by the same people he fought with for many moons, yet it did not say his end would be so...graphic." She told him.

"I see. Welp in that case, I'll be seein' ya." The former merc said before running to catch up with the others.

When the heroes got back to Stormtop Village the sun had already fallen below the horizon. Despite this, Li Yuen invited them into his home for dinner. They also met his granddaughter, Li Moon. She's a red mobian fox with jet black hair tied into a ponytail that ran down to her mid-back. She also wore a purple gi-like outfit with black boots and black bands on her wrists as well. She seemed like a nice person.

That evening, the heroes discussed the days events, even gaining a few laughs out of it in return.

"And then Khan gets all in her face, and I'm thinking 'Great. Way to get us into another big fight monkey boy'." Sonic explained, earning a chuckle from Tails and Kor.

"If we did get into a fight, that'd be a horrible way to go out, especially since we were in their house..." Kor said, drinking some of his tea.

They both chuckled again, much to Ken's annoyance.

"It seems like you've just about accepted yourself as the King of the Free People now right?" Sally asked.

"Yeah...I suppose I have. Still a long way to go though." Ken replied with some hope in his voice. "If it's anything like today, this should be a sinch!" Sonic said.

However, Tails brought up an interesting question. "Do you think everyone is doing ok back home?"

"I hope so...with Nicole back to her old self she should be keeping tabs on things. Yet at the same time...she still has to follow their commands and I _know_ she's probably hating herself for doing it...but I suppose the good thing is they haven't figured out what we're doing yet." Kor answered.

"Sonic?" Tails asked.

Sonic's mind was elsewhere before Tails shook him from his thoughts. "Huh? Oh yeah, sure! Don't worry about them. I'm sure Amy and everyone else have things under control with Nicole's help."

"Well, if you guys say so." Tails said optimistically.

"More tea?" Li Moon asked.

"Oh! Um, y-yes please. Thanks Li Moon." Tails said with a small blush creeping onto his face. Kor just smirked at the kit's reaction.

However, as she was pouring him another cup, a kunai flew in through the open window, smashing the teapot in her hands and dousing the 3 foxes. The sudden action surprised everyone.

"Aah!" Li Moon shouted, dropping what remained of the kettle. "Woah!" Tails yelped. "What the?! Who the hell threw that?!" Kor exclaimed.

He switched his eyes to night vision and looked outside, his robotic hand clenched into a fist. In this situation if the attacker were to throw another kunai, it'd be lodged in his forehead, but he didn't care. Unfortunately he didn't find the weapon's owner.

"I swear if I find whoever threw that..." He muttered under his breath before shaking himself like a dog to dry his fur.

Tails did the same, abeit too close to Sonic. "Ugh! Tails knock it off!"

"Sorry." Tails said sheepishly.

"Did you see anyone Kor?" Ken asked.

"Unfortunately no..." Kor said with annoyance.

Sally noticed a note was tied to the kunai. "Well, if they meant to destroy us, they'd do more than break the kettle."

"Well they ticked me off. That was good tea...so what's the note say?" Sonic asked while Tails used his namesakes as a fan to help Li Moon dry off.

"It's from the leader of the local Yagyu emcampment. He wants to meet with us." Ken stated.

"Word sure travels fast around here..." Sally mused.

"Wish word traveled fast back home. That way we wouldn't have to use telephones." Kor joked.

"Well, that suits me just fine! We've already go one clan to break away. Tomorrow, we'll take on the Yagyu clan!" Sonic stated with optimism.

Everyone else agreed with him before retiring to the rooms they were given to rest in. After such a long day they needed the sleep. Kor was sleeping peacefully when he heard his PDA buzzing. It was odd given that he lost connection to his devices since the Dominion took over and his new sentry was inactive at the moment. Regardless, he looked at and pressed a few commands. To his surprise, it was Nicole. "Nicole? How'd you manage to contact my PDA?"

"It took some doing, especially since I didn't want the Iron Queen to notice, but I managed to tap into the signal your machines give to find it." The A.I. responded.

"I see..." He wiped his tired eyes. "How are things at home?"

"To be truthful, terrible...citizens are still being captured and legionized...I wish I could do something and put an end to this, but my system isn't fully protected against the Queen's magic yet...if it's possible, I hate myself for doing this..." She finished, looking down in shame.

"I know it's hard Nicole...but you gotta keep up the act for alittle longer. We managed to get one clan to break ties tonight, and tomorrow we're meetin' another. It shouldn't be long now." Kor said with optimism.

"I hope so...so far Amy, Bunnie, and Antoine are in hiding, but Rotor was captured..." Nicole told him.

"I see...well we'll try to speed things up...by the way is there another reason why you called? I didn't think you'd contact me to be honest." Kor said, yawning.

"I have...they found the Hornet..." She said with regret.

"What?!" Kor nearly shouted, then quieted to make sure he didn't alert anyone. "How?" "

They checked around HQ after the Queen found out where you guys hacked into the system. It fought off their forces for awhile until she showed up..." The A.I. responded.

Kor gritted his teeth in anger. "I swear when we get back I'm going to..." He took a deep breath and sighed. "I was afraid this would happen...what's she doing with it?"

"Using it to find anyone in hiding..." Nicole stated.

Kor sat in thought for a few minutes before coming up with a solution. "Alright...since it came to this, I'll find a way to to deal with it..."

"How? That thing is practically a flying fortress by your standards." Nicole said.

"Maybe so but it's not invincible. Since I doubt the Queen will release control of it, I'm gonna have to destroy what we created when we get back..." The former merc said with sorrow in his voice.

**A/N: And it's done. Like I said before, sorry for the long wait but stuff happened that prevented me from publishing it sooner. One clan has agreed to break its ties, but how will the other clans respond? And what will Kor do with his machine now that it's in enemy hands? Wait til next chapter to find out.**


	25. Breaking the Iron Curtain Pt 2

**A/N: Here comes 25. Our heroes continue on toward their goal of convincing the clans to break away from the Dominion, yet they may not get the same peaceful notion that the Gossamer Clan gave them. **

**Also, I've been thinking of another Sonic story not connected to this at all. Let's just say, it's a zombie apocolypse with elements of Left 4 Dead and Dying Light thrown in. Only problem is I haven't figure out where it will start.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie Comics except my OC.**

When the sun rose, the heroes bid farewell to Li Yuen and Li Moon before setting out to the Yagyu encampment. Sonic and Tails were feeling confident that this would be easy, given that they managed to win the Gossamer to their side without much issue. Sally and Ken however, were not as optimistic.

"Ah come monkey boy. If we got one clan to our side, how hard can this one be?" Sonic stated.

"You don't understand. The Yagyu are known to be well-skilled assassins, and they have been known to be brash, devious, and manipulative...I wouldn't be surprised if this summons was a trap." Ken said in annoyance.

"Even if it is a trap, they couldn't possibly be harder to beat than the Gossamer. We've even knocked heads with them back home." Sonic countered. Ken just pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

While the two continued to argue over whether their task would be easy, Sally noticed Kor was lagging behind. In all honesty, he looked rather tired. "You ok Kor?"

"Yeah...just didn't sleep much..." The engineer lifted his goggles, showing a few bags under his eyes as he rubbed the sleep off them.

"What were you doing last night that caused you a lack of sleep?" Sally asked.

"Too tired to tell ya right now princess...I'll explain it later..." Kor yawned slightly as he thought over what he did last night.

With his best invention, that was created to help bring peace, being used for malevolent purposes, Kor found it hard to fall asleep with the info Nicole shared with him. Since he was likely to have to kill the drone, he looked over the blueprints off it he had copied on his PDA to look for weaknesses. After a half hour of scanning them, he found 3 that never occured to him before. With this in mind, he decided to work on improving the 3rd state of his new sentry. Along with the function to fire standard rockets, each rocket would also have a smaller targeting chip in it that would allow Kor to turn the rockets into radar-guided missiles if he used a tracker. He kept working on it until he realized it was dawn.

By now the group was passing through rice fields, with small located here and there. Kor was broken from his thoughts when he still heard Ken and Sonic bickering. Being as tired as he was, he grew irritated quickly. "Would you two just-"

Suddenly, 5 Yagyu ninjas welding various weapons shot out from the ponds around them. "Ambush!" Sally yelled.

Immediately, Sonic took action and spin-dashed a ninja holding a pair of linked kamas.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted their summons!" Ken said as he struck one ninja in the chest, stunning it. He then swung the ninja into another that Tails lifted, knocking them out.

Kor glared at another ninja who was attempting to assault him with nunchucks. "I really don't have time to play games with you..." He stated.

The bat swung one of the ends at it, but Kor grabbed it with his cybernetic hand and tossed it, with the ninja still holding on, into another pond. Sally dodged a kick from another ninja who was then kicked into the air by Sonic.

"These guys aren't as organized or as disciplined as the others. This ambush is sloppy...the Gossamer did the same thing but we were caught in seconds." The princess noted.

A ninja with a katana suddenly appeared out of the water next to her, but Tails stomped on its head before it had the chance to strike. "If they're such pushovers, why did the Iron Queen bring them to help the Dark Egg Legion?" The kit asked.

"I don't know Tails. Maybe they were easier to uproot without upsetting the whole clan." Sally replied.

"Doubt the Queen cares about these guys." Kor said as he whacked a ninja in the face with his wrench. "If she wanted to, she could've had all of them assault New Mobotropolis. Didn't she kill their bride?"

"True..." Sally agreed.

"Man I forgot how much I _hate_ getting wet..." Sonic groaned.

Ken knocked a sai out of the last ninja's grasp before grabbing it by its collar. "Now, are you going to fulfill the invitation to meet with your lord, or do I have to put you with the rest of the pond scum?..."

"W-Wait, _you're_ the ones he sent for?" The defeated ninja asked.

"Do we look like locals?..." Sonic asked as he and rest dried themselves.

"Pardon! Pardon! We thought you were just travelers! Simple robbery! Honest!" The ninja explained.

"Just shut up and lead the way..." Ken commanded.

"Even if I was a 'simple traveler' I'd still gut ya for tryin' to rob me..." Kor glared at ninja.

The ninja led them back to its clan's current abode; the others were still unconscious back at the fields. "Not much further! Promise!" It told them.

"Ken...the Yagyu Clan has no bride for their house, correct?" Sally asked.

"Right. The Iron Dominion killed the Bride of Rich Nights and took the Yagyu as their own." Ken replied.

"Does that make things easier or harder? Without a proper bride, they may not fall back on tradition, but they may not want to give up on the Iron Queen either..." Sally pointed out, feeling uneasy.

"To be honest, I don't know Sally...if we can't deal with this lord then we'll just play it by ear." Ken said with uncertainty.

Soon the group arrived at an old temple in the middle of the forest. "Apologies again! Here we are!" The ninja said before it ran inside.

"Looks cozy." Sonic mused.

"I believe this was a temple from the old days, what locals call the 'lost dynasty' or something like that." Ken noted. "Keep your guard up. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried another ambush..."

"Try all they want, I'll still run rings around them." Sonic smirked, cracking his kunckles.

As they entered the temple, they were greeted by the Yagyu Lord himself sitting on an aged throne. Like the ninjas, he's a purple bat with a scar running down his left eye wearing a black outfit similar to them, but with metal shoulder-plates and a metal spiked helmet. The Yagyu Clan's banner was strapped to the wall above him while to his left was aged pot holding 3 swords; to his left was a bowl of fruit.

"Next time you invite guests, I recommend informing your cronies that they're coming. Otherwise they may get the wrong idea." Ken stated

. "Heh, you get the Gossamer Clan to roll over and all of a sudden you're high and mighty? Please." The lord chuckled. "The fact you've returned means you did no better against the Queen over there than you did here. At least you're consistent I guess." He then took note of the others. "And what's with all the tourists? Are you trying to impress us with a group of Freedom Fighters you _haven't_ bene tricking into killing?" The lord then began to laugh.

Ken was beginning to boil with rage at this. "Well, he's just a ray of sunshine ain't he?" Kor asked. "Real classy chief..." Sonic stated.

Ken was about to give the Yagyu Lord a good piece of his mind when Sally placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked back as Sally gave a reassuring smile before calming himself. "All that _aside_...I'm here to broker peace between your clan and the free people of the Dragon Kingdom..."

"Hold it. There's something we need to get out of the way first." The lord suggested. "I'll meet with the Princess of the Republic of Acorn, and even the," he chuckled, "'King of the Free People.' But I don't feel comfortable with _the_ Sonic the Hedgehog in my lair along with a gun-totting mercenary."

Sonic smirked. "Nah, wouldn't think so." "I second that." Kor agreed.

"And I won't dicuss important business in from of mere children."

Tails quickly took offense to this. "_Mere children_?!"

Sonic began pushing Tails out whilst Kor followed. "Ask all your guys with headaches back in the rice fields how 'mere' I am! I FOUGHT MASTER MOGUL!" The young fox ranted.

"Chill out bud. Saves us from listening to more political babbling." Sonic chuckled.

"Plus I can finally nap..." Kor yawned.

Once outside, Kor began to rest by the steps while Tails continued to preach about how he wasn't a child. "...And I've fought swatbots, egg pawns, and-and-and I built the Tornado_ from scratch_!_ More than once_!"

Sonic sighed and shook his head. "Dude, will you just chill for a sec? That guy's a colossal jerk. Why are you getting so bent out of shape?"

"I've worked really hard to prove I'm just as much a Freedom Fighter as everyone else. He knows who _you_ are, even _Kor_, but I'm..." Tails stared at the ground in sadness.

"You're my best bud, and the guy I'd pick to have my back anytime. You've done more in your short life than he's going to do, so don't get worked up over one low-life, alright?" Sonic said with a smile.

"Yeah, guess you're right." Tails said, beginning to smile.

"I don't know Blue. He's still pretty hung up over _this_ low-life." A voice suddenly rang out.

The two looked around confused before, low and behold, they spotted _Fiona_ sitting on a bent bambo tree.

"Fiona?!" Tails asked in shock.

"We were wondering what rock you went hiding under after the whole Moebius fiasco..." Sonic stated whilst smirking at the fox.

"Simple: I got out while the getting was good. Kept myself busy though." Fiona said, her smirk not dropping.

"Yeah? Doing what?" Sonic asked.

"And why are you here?" Tails asked.

"I'll tell you...if you can catch me." She grinned before jumping off the tree and swinging into the forest. Sonic and Tails stared at each other before followng.

Kor was napping, though he kept an ear open incase they needed to spring into action. When he heard Fiona's name he kepted an eye open and watched the confrontation, though he still looked like he was asleep. When he watched Sonic and Tails follow, he sighed. "Maybe I should've just slept all night..." He said ran into the forest.

Because it so thick, he had to switch to thermal view to keep sight of them.

_"Fiona knows she'll never outrun 'em...this has got to be a trap..."_ Kor thought and moved to a side path to stay hidden.

He watched as she started bending the trees she landed on, using the recoil to make them snap back and hit the two males. Tails got slapped by one. Sonic asked if he was ok before being smacked himself. Angered, the hedgehog began buzz-sawing his way straight towards Fiona, who was now in a clearing.

However, just before he reached her, the hedgehog was grabbed by a large gorilla wearing military attire including a pouch bag sash and a sergeant insigna band on his arm, aka Sergeant Simian. Simian then slammed Sonic into the ground, stopping his spin immediately.

"So here's some info as a consulation prize: I'm running with the Destructix again." Fiona told him.

"I'm coming Sonic!" Tails yelled, coming from the path Sonic just came from.

However, just as he came out he was knocked out of the air by a blue hawk wearing matching red gloves and boots. He was also wearing a bag sash similar to the simian. This was Predator Hawk.

"You make this too easy kid." The hawk chuckled.

At that moment, Sonic broke free of the gorilla's grip with his signature move. "I am getting _so_ tired of dealing with you guys!"

But before he could launch a counterattack, he was ambushed yet again, this time by a green frog wearing aviators and brown flight pants with boots to match. He also wore a white scraf around his neck and, surprisingly, had a webbed membrance extending from his arms that allowed him to glide. This nutcase was known as Flying Frog.

"A bit of grit so the dirt will hurt!" The frog cackled.

Seeing this, Kor glared at them all through his goggles and moved to a spot to take them by surprise. If he has to, he will be burying corpses today.

The two heroes glared at their enemies. "Now that we have your attention, there's something we'd like to discuss." Fiona stated.

"Correction: you have _mah_ attention..."

They turned to the side and see Kor aiming his laser hand at them. Next to him was a level 3 sentry poised to fire its deadly payload at the Destructix.

"As irritated as I am right now, we ain't got time for this crap. Now you have caused us _alot_ of trouble in the past Fiona, and yer damn boyfriend cost me my eyes!" The engineer glared, that encounter still fresh in his mind. "So how about y'all tell us what the hell you want before I decide you ain't worth talkin' to..." He said, charging his hand.

The Destructix looked unfazed, but given the body language you could tell they were unnerved a bit from being at gun point. One wrong move could spell death for them.

At the moment, Sally and Ken arrive. "The Destructix?! What are you doing here?!" Sally said in shock.

"Oh we're just here to cause trouble, but when we found out you guys were in the area we decided to recruit you into the fun." Fiona said.

"Word sure travels fast around here..." Sally mused.

"Speaking of fast, how the heck did you get all the way out here so quick?" Sonic asked.

Fiona sighed. "It wasn't about you at first, but let's start from the beginning. Remember when you managed to sucker the Suppression Squad into turning on Scourge? I got out while everyone was fighting in the lab. I had my own plans after that and I needed some muscle, so I went looking for the Destructix. What I found though, was the team's miserable remains. Drago went back to working under Eggman whilst Lightning came back to his clan, something about having his 'honor restored'. Sleuth let me have them, saying he wanted to save his own hide."

"And they just let you take command. Just like that?" Sally asked.

"No. I had to promise that our first order of busniess would be to bring Lightning back on the team." Fiona said while looking at her nails.

Sonic, however, wasn't too convinced. "Since when did you guys care so much about each other?..."

"He was one of the original four. He's been with us from the beginning." Predator stated.

"Mogul, Kodos, Snively, Sleuth...leaders come and go. He is our comrade, and we know he is being used." Simian replied.

"Outcasts! Downcasts! No class!" Frog babbled.

"I really wonder how y'all deal with this clown at times..." Kor said.

"You get used to it..." Simian said.

"Huh, I'm impressed. That's alot of _loyalty_ being thrown around while Fiona's involved." Sonic smirked, making Fiona glare at him.

She then turned her attention to Tails. "Can't you talk some sense into him big man?" She cooed.

"M-Me?" Tails asked, confused.

"Sure. You know me better than anyone else right? You said so yourself. You know I'm good on the inside. It would _so much_ to me if you'd step in and-"

She was cut off as Kor smacked her on the head with his wrench. "Quit toyin' with him Fiona...incase you forget I still got a turret pointed at yer heads, so you wanna strike a deal or not?..." He stated.

Fiona rubbed the spot where he struck her while glaring at him. She could already feel a knot forming on the spot.

"So, you guys want Lightning to return to your group while we want his clan to renounce the Dominion, correct?" Sally asked.

"Then our terms are agreed upon." Simian said.

Ken looked at the others. "I'm game if you guys are. I know you're enemies, but..."

"Considering the odds, and from what you said the Raiju are the most aggressive out of the bunch. I think we can make this truce work, so long as they don't try to backstab us..." Kor said, casting a wary eye at the Destructix. He tapped his sentry with his wrench, making it to deform so he could place it back in its box.

"Eh, I'm good. But how do we get fuzz-head to leave the people he _wants_ to be with? Nevermind the whole army of ninja lynxes..." Sonic said in thought.

"And this is why I'm in charge and brought us all together. I have a plan." Fiona said as the pain to her head finally subsided.

As the group made their way to where the Raiju were currently based, they saw it was a large steel fortress that cast a menacing glare on the land below. One could tell the place was wrenched with evil.

" *whistles* What kind of place is this?" Kor asked.

"The Iron Fortress, former home of the Iron King and Queen. It has meter thick walls and two heavily reinforced doors that can only be opened from the inside." Fiona stated.

"Eh, very primitive defense. The kind that only blocks attacks without giving back some sort of counterattack in return. Unless they got snipers or whatever in them towers." Kor theorized.

"Man, this place is uglier than I remember..." Sonic said in disgust.

"However, once inside it should be a straight shot to the throne room, and the Raiju Clan's bride." Fiona said, a smirk growing on her face.

"Then those doors will have to go won't they?" Ken asked, a grin forming on his face as well.

"Welp, shall we invite ourselves in?" Sonic stated, his signature grin appearing.

"Remember the plan..." Simian stated, a serious look still dawned on his face.

**A/N: And I'll stop it here. While writing this I thought about having Sally hit Fiona like she did in the comics but I thought it'd be more comical if Kor did. Plus he really needed to smack some sense into her given what she did to all of them in the past. Also I'll explain how things went with the Yagyu in the next chapter, but that will be after they deal with the Raiju first.**


	26. Breaking the Iron Curtain Pt 3

**A/N: Last time, our heroes were invited to have a chat with the leader of Yagyu Clan in the Dragon Kingdom. While they were given a not-so-friendly greeting, it appears they smoothed things out. However, Sonic, Tails, and Kor run into the Destructix, to which Fiona strikes a deal with them. As they prepare to breach the Iron Fortress, one question arises: if this works as planned, how will they find the Shinobi?**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

The Freedom Fighters and Destructix moved their plan into action, splitting into 3 teams. Team A consisted of Predator Hawk, Flying Frog, and Tails. Team B had Sally and Fiona in an awkward team-up, and team C was formed by Sonic, Ken, Sgt. Simian, and Kor. Team A distracted the ninjas closest to the inner gate while team B cranked the gate's shaft. This allowed team C to simply blow down the outer gate without much problems. Once all the teams converged they ran straight for the throne room.

Once they entered, they were greeted by several rather angry ninja lyxnes holding various weapons. At the throne chairs, stood Lightning Lynx, and next him was a female lynx wearing a purple gi outfit, steel-plated shoes and a conical straw hat. This was Conquering Storm, the Bride of the Raiju. "So, the King of the Free People has raised himself a little army. Fine by me! Only fools declare war on the Raiju Clan." She sneered.

However, Ken thought otherwise. "That is true, but we did not come here to wage war. We only came to talk."

"By invading the fortress entrusted to me by my masters?" Conquering Storm said, unconvinced.

"Would you have listened to us otherwise?" Ken pointed out.

"No." The Bride admitted. "State your case, and do it quickly..."

"Break away from the Iron Dominion. As King of the Free People, on my word of honor, I promise to uphold your rights to your lands. I'll let you keep the Iron Fortress as well." The cyborg stated.

"You'll 'let us' keep it? Bold words, but we can't be bought like the lowly Yagyu...we are the mighty Raiju! Only through one's strength, through _action_, do you earn anything!" Conquering Storm proclaimed.

Ken smirked. "Then I propose we wager upon a duel. Should your champion win, we will surrender to you. We'd be prime prisoners for the Iron Queen."

"Not that they're lookin' for us already..." Kor pointed out.

"And if ours is victorious, you renounce the Dominion." Ken finished.

The bride took a moment to think it over. _"With the Four Houses already falling apart, the Dominion couldn't possibly retaliate against us, even with their legionnaires. And with the heroes busy, little can stop us from reaching our _real_ goal." _She thought and smirked. "Either way, I win." Conquering Storm muttered to herself. "Agreed. Lightning! You will fight to prove your continued worth to your clan."

Lightning was a bit shocked by her request. "Y-Yes. Thank you."

Ken chose Sonic to be his fighter. Lightning was shocked a second time as he expected to fight Ken. He knew he wouldn't last long against the Hero of Mobius, but he swallowed his fear and attacked relentlessly. He was not about to be banished from his home again.

Sonic reeled from the punches and kicks thrown at him, but he knew he and the others need to get back to New Mobotropolis as quick as possible. Dodging another swing at him, Sonic launched a series of homing attacks at the lynx until Lightning was too dazed to continue. "I didn't realize you invested so much into this, but we've got a whole city to save. I'm sorry, but my friends and family have to come first..." The hedgehog told defeated ninja.

Conquering Storm rolled her eyes. "That was pathetic. Lightning is henceforth Raiju no more. _Again_."

"No! Wait! I can still be of use to you!" Lightning pleaded.

"No, you cant."

"Please don't! I love-" He was cut off as Conquering Storm glared at him.

"Do not embarrass yourself further. That's what got you banished the first time." She stated. The bride and Lightning stared at each other for a minute before Lightning sighed and accepted his fate.

Sonic watched Lightning sulk in defeat and glared at Fiona. "This isn't what we agreed to..."

"Yes it was. You just didn't know it." The vixen smirked.

Simian, Predator, and Frog conforted their comrade. "You were never of them Lightning, you are one of us." Simian told him

"They would have rejected you eventually. However, we won't." Predator chimed in.

"Hey...you're running with us now. And I promise you, with what I got planned, they'll get what's coming to them." Fiona told the lynx.

Lightning stared at the floor, rage emitting from him. "All of them?..."

"All of them."

"Good...Let's go." Lightning said.

"The Raiju have lost, and by my word of honor I renounce our ties to the Iron Dominion. However, that does not make us allies. _Leave_." Conquering Storm commanded.

Once the heroes exited the fortress, Tails noted the Destructix were gone. "Looks like Fiona and the Destructix didn't stick around to say good-bye."

"Not that it matters pardner. If we see em' again we're enemies anyway." Kor said.

"Speaking of which, thanks for earlier Kor." Tails said, causing the red fox to look at him confused. "Thanks for stopping Fiona from teasing me...or whatever that was."

"No biggie. Given her type I don't like it when people play with the emotions of others...I know how that feels, but I don't want someone like you to have to put up with that." The engineer explained.

"To be frank, I was about to punch her myself, but I think I might be over-stepping my bounds. I'm not some kind of thug." Sally said.

"I can imagine it already." Sonic said, smirking. "I second that." Ken said.

"Maybe next time you should be the one to slug her Aunt Sally." Tails agreed. Sonic and Ken chuckled whilst Kor shook his head in amusement.

"I'm drowning in testorterone..." Sally muttered to herself.

"Anyway, with that aside, got any idea where the Shinobi Clan likes to hang Ken?" Kor asked.

"I have no idea..."

"Lame monkey-boy!" Sonic groaned.

"I'm serious! They're known for their secrecy. All I know is that they're chameleons. Everything else is just rumors and legends." The cyborg explained.

"Maybe if we can get to Angel Island and borrow Knuckles. He knows how to spot them." Sonic said thoughtfully.

"No. He's busy safe-guarding the place. Besides, we can't have examine every inch of the Dragon Kingdom."

"Guess these guys are alot like spahs. They don't show themselves unless they want you to see em'. Of course back in my day if a spah made a mistake and showed himself at the wrong time he'd be killed..." Kor muttered.

"So how do we find someone who doesn't want to be found?" Tails asked.

"You'll need a guide...and a friend you can trust." A familiar voice said. The heroes looked all over to find the owner, only to find Espio coming out of his camoflauge just feet away from them.

"You!" Ken yelled in anger, charging his atom-bat. "You have the nerve to shwo your face after you-"

Sonic quickly stepped in front of him. "Hold on Ken, chill for a sec ok?"

"He's a traitor to you and his team!"

"And he's been a friend for much longer." Sonic retorted with a friendly smile.

"Yet he attacked you. He even punched you in the face!"

"And we've gotten into three times as many fights. By that logic, I should be stomping you into the dirt." The hedgehog grinned.

Ken glared at him before sighing. "Fine...have it your way." He said in a chilling tone.

"I usually do." Sonic smirked.

"Ken raises a good point though. You've made it clear you're in with the Iron Dominion Espio, so why are you here now?" Sally asked.

"I don't want to debate semantics, but I _am_ with the Shinobi Clan. I'm only with the Dominion through extenuating circumstances..." The chameleon explained.

"Knuckles mentioned something along those lines, but he wasn't sure what you meant."

"I'm not permitted to say much, but my clan leader will reveal everything. The Bride of Constant Vigil has been observing your efforts in trying to dismantle the Clan of Four Houses. I volunteered to guide you to a meeting with her." Espio explained with a friendly smile.

"Im sorry Espio, but your word isn't good enough now..." Sally told him.

Espio mulled in thought for a moment before sighing. "Very well then, no more secrets. I'll give you all the information I have on each of you, removing any advantage I might have had."

Sonic smirked. "Secrets? _Us_? We're the _heroes_, Es. We're squeaky clean."

"Speak for yourself..." Kor muttered.

For the next few minutes, Espio told everyone the secrets they were sure no one else had known: Sonic's stint as 'The Sneak', Tails' fan-made comic called 'Captain Super Fox-Man', the location of Sally's royal birthmark, and even Kor's record of the funniest kills he's made as a mercenary. There was some debate with Ken though when Espio told the cyborg there were 'more like him'.

"Ok ok so you've proved you got dirt on all of us. What makes you think we trust you now?" Sonic asked.

"Information is everything within my clan. By revealing the secrets I knew I have left myself entirely vulnerable to you. The fact I know any of those things just comes from doing my job." Espio explained.

"I can get behind that. Spah's job was usually about gettin' intel on our enemies positions and of course eliminatin' key targets. But, he always reported what he knew to us first before the rest of us would move in." Kor said.

Espio nodded. "As I said before, my clan will reveal all." He thank took out five hankercheifs. "Please accept these blindfolds so I may take you to our secret headquarters. Oh and Kor, please so not try to peak using your infrared vision..."

"Yeah yeah, gotchya." The engineer said, taking one. The others looked at each other for a minute before doing the same.

"Alright Espio. We'll follow your lead, for now..." Sally told him.

"Thank you princess. I promise, you won't regret it." The chameleon said before leading them.

After several minutes of blind walking and stumbling with nothing but the sound of Espio's voice leading the way, Sonic grew impatient. "Ok, it's bad enough we're going so _slow_, but I can safely say I'm totally lost now."

Espio took off the hedgehog's blindfold. "That's the point."

The other take off their rags and find themselves in a large cavern. There was only one path leading towards another opening, which sat just across what seemed to be a bottomless pit. "Welcome to the Way of the Blind. You will find my master if you can reach the other side." Espio explained.

"Wait, what do you mean 'if'? Kor asked.

"I'm sorry, but this is our way." Was all the ninja said before disappearing.

"Great...so how are we supposed to find our way across this?" Sonic asked.

"Don't worry Sonic, I can just fly us over." Tails said, already lifting himself into the air.

However, Ken grabbed the kit's foot. "Don't." He lifted his atom-bat and conjured electricity into the air, lighting up the cave ceiling.

It was shown that the Shinobi were also good at concealing traps in plain sight. The ceiling was filled with almost every medieval trap you could imagine: arrows, axes, beartraps, buzzsaws, etc. It was clear anyone who tried to cheat their way by flying would meet an untimely demise.

Tails shuddered. "And I almost flew right into that...thanks Ken."

"My gears are turnin'. Epsio said their clan is very secretive and gather info right? So what if there's some sort of invisible path? Back in my day we used to uncover spahs by dousin' em' with fire, bleeding them, and for some reason Sniper used to throw-" Kor said before Sally cut him off.

"Please don't finish that sentence...but invisible objects does give me an idea." The chipmunk said. She picked up some dirt and threw it towards the chasm. Instead of falling into the black abyss like one would estimate, it sat there as if it was floating. "Looks like your guess was spot on Kor, but I'm wary of this idea. It could be a maze or laden with traps...we should take this one step at a time."

While she was talking, Sonic grabbed a mound of dirt and ran out onto the hidden path. "Sorry Sal, but you know I don't do _slow_." He smirked.

"Be careful Sonic!" Sally shouted.

"_Careful_? So many foreign words today!" Sonic teased. He continued to spread the dirt all over the path to make it visible, though he nearly fell off. "Espio made have had some dirt on us, but I got dirt on his tricky path." The hedgehog taunted.

"Never knew you to play dirty hedgehog." Ken said.

"Can you please stop with the dirt jokes?..." Kor sighed.

"Ok guys, we've overcome their first challenge, so be ready for anything." Said the princess.

Your trepidation is unnecessary. Come in and we will speak plainly." A new voice said.

They found the Shinobi Clan's bride sitting on a large pillow with the clan's banner on the wall behind her. The bride herself was a purple chameleon wearing a green outfit #purple in her first appearance# with yellow trim, a red sash at the waist, studded bands at the wrists and ankles, and sandals. She also had 4 horns on her head, two of which had jewelry attached to them. This, is the Bride of Constant Vigil. Next to her, Espio was pouring her a cup of tea.

"You can also forego the honorifics. I am well aware of who you are." The bride added.

"Very well then...the Clan of the Four Houses-" Ken began.

"Is evil, and its support crumbles. I know you are here to convince us to break away." Vigil stated.

"I like your directness ma'am. So does that mean you'll break ties as well?" Kor asked.

"Yes, you have my word of honor. The Clan of Four Houses is no more." The bride said, taking a sip from her cup.

"Well, that was easy! Thanks for your time, we know the way out." Sonic said, turning to leave.

"Now wait just a minute!" Ken shouted. The blue blur sighed. "You can't let it be simple can you?..."

"It's not that simple! We spent days traveling here and risking our lives to convince each clan's bride! You had to leave your family and friends behind in the hands of those monsters! And the Dragon Kingdom Freedom Fighters-!"

"Ken, take a minute." Sally suggedted.

Ken fumed for a moment before sighing. "I've heard the Shinobi Clan call themselves the protectors of these lands. If that's true, why didn't you help us fight? Why did you side with the Iron Dominion?"

Constant Vigil sighed, bringing old memories to bear. "Generations ago, we thought as you did. We've fought openly against the other clans. We even tried to police the Free People of the Dragon Kingdom. As a result, we were nearly wiped out for our efforts..." She paused. "As a result, we adopted our shadowy ways to survive. We learned to do more with less. Our clan is small at this time, and had we chosen to stand and fight, the Iron Dominion and the other clans would have wiped us out once and for all. The destruction of your freedom fighters proves my thinking as correct. We did as we have done for generations: watch and wait." The bride explained. "But...sometimes action must be taken. Espio has shown me this by deviating greatly from his mission."

"Wait, what mission? We all thought you were just a native to Angel Island." Sonic pointed out.

"Well..." Espio looked at his leader. "With your permission." The bride nodded as she continued to drink.

"I'm the most recent agent sent to monitor the Guardian of Angel Island." The ninja stated.

"So you were spying on Knuckles this whole time?" Tails asked.

"More or less. Knuckles comes from a long line of Guardians called "The Brotherhood." They took it upon themselves to monitor Mobius for threats against Angel Island. My clan didn't think a powerful, species-centric organization like them should go unchecked, so each generation one of us is chosen to keep track of the active guardian to protect mobius. My mentor was Valdez. He was monitoring Locke and his dealings with the Kingdom of Acorn. He later helped me settle in Rainbow Valley and build my identity as just another local. I was supposed to just observe Knuckles and report any dangerous decisions he made. I was only allowed to reveal myself if the situation was dire, such as for example, when Eggman captured you all on Angel Island. I wasn't supposed to be working directly with him, join the Chaotix, or be his friend, but..." Espio paused, unable to find the right words.

"While Espio has broken the taboo of his station, I cannot ignore that it had been the right choice." Vigil stated, causing Espio to look at her in confusion.

"You are to return to your station on Angel Island, and you have permission to act as you see fit." The bride said, smiling.

Espio was surprised at the sudden gesture. "Really?! I can?! Thank you, mo-" He stopped himself short. "I-I mean master. Please excuse my outburst."

"Before you go, retreive the Mystical Fan of Fen Xing and bring it to New Mobotropolis. Your friends will need its power." Vigil ordered.

"At once." Espio said before leaving. "See you back in the city!"

"You better. You're _way_ behind on your heroism quota." Sonic smirked.

"You may have broken the Clan of the Four Houses, but your work has just begun, _King of the Free People_." The bride stated.

"I know." Ken nodded. He removed his ring headband and gave it a jolt, reshaping a part of it to show a red jem in the center. "With this crown, I swear I will do my best to protect both my people and to honor the authority of the clans. You have my word of honor. I just hope I can live up to the hype..."

"I know you will." Sally smiled.

"You will have the Shinobi Clan ensuring a safe departure from the Dragon Kingdom." Constant Vigil told them.

"Thank you, Bride of Constant Vigil. We appreciate all you've revealed to us." Sally and Ken bowed.

"Are you sure you can spare the extra muscle? I mean, you don't even have guards in here." Sonic asked.

"Oh? Did you truly believe I would leave myself totally prone to such powerful outsiders?" The bride asked.

At that moment, Tails and Kor's ears picked up movement from above. Upon gazing upward, they saw various chameleons watching them.

"I knew I had the feeling we were bein' watched." Kor said.

"I gotta admit, that's pretty cool." Sonic stated.

After that, the heroes returned to stormtop village. They decided to rest for the night considering how late it was and the amount of work they put it today. Each of them were eager with anticipation of driving the Iron Dominion out of New Mobotropolis. However, Kor still had to come to terms with the fact he may have to destroy his best creation to date. Once again he didn't sleep much, but instead worked on making his sentry mobile. Using the part he brought with him, he made two pairs of treads for the level 3 sentry.

Come the following morning, Sally and Ken bid their goodbyes to Li Yuen while Tails was gifted a good basket for the trip back from Li Moon. Sonic tapped his foot impatiently while Kor got the plane ready. Whilst doing so he looked over his remodeled sentry on his PDA. "At least it won't be a sitting target for Hornet..." The engineer muttered. "Hey guys, Tornado's ready."

"Feeling more confident than when we landed Sal?" Sonic asked.

"Much more. Let's go save the day." Sally smiled.

"And let's kick those jerks out of my city." Kor smirked.

"That's more like it! Hang on Freedom Fighters! The cavalry's on the way!" Sonic boasted.

**A/N: For summer, you would think these chapters would come more frequently, but work stops for no one. Glad I'm done with this chapter so now I can focus on writing the rest. With the Clan of the Four Houses finally broken, the heroes set their sites on New Mobotropolis, but has the Dominion been up to in their absence? You'll find out next chapter.**


	27. Eviction Notice

**A/N: During the last chapter, Sonic and the others finally succeeded in convincing the 4 clans in the Dragon Kingdom to sever ties with the Iron Dominion. Now, with their support cut off, the 5 heroes make their way back to New Mobotropolis. However, one has to wonder how the other heroes have been faring in the last 2 days.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

Over the ocean, the Tornado and Monkey Khan race to the east as quick as possible. All of them are eager to liberate their fair city, and to kick some legionnaire butts while doing it. Well, all of them except for Kor. He had been silent for the past 2 hours.

"Man I can't wait to give Queenie a taste of her own medicine!" Sonic boasted, stretching his legs in preparation.

"First, I need to deliver the message to the Yagyu ninjas stationed there. Back in the Dragon Kingdom word may travel fast, but in the West it's the opposite it seems...once they hear of their clan's departure they should leave without a fight." Ken explained.

"Then that should just leave the Dark Legion and the Iron King and Queen to deal with. And with Nicole on our side again we should be able to form a trap." Sally said thoughtfully.

Sonic glances over at Kor, who looked absent-minded. "You ok there engy? You seem worried about something."

The fox sighed. "Well...to be truthful guys, we won't have just them to worry about..."

Tails turned his head in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"...Couple nights back Nicole informed me that Hornet got captured...that bitch has been usin' it to find any other oppressors an' such and crush rebellions...I doubt we'll be able to bring back on our side so I opted to have it...destroyed..." Kor said the last word with bitterness.

"Wait, you sure there isn't any other way? I mean, when Ken was taken over he was brought back to his old self in no time flat." Sonic pointed out.

"Also, didn't you have explosives built into it incase it was compromised?" Tails asked.

"No, cause I was hoping for that gunship to be of use for the forseeable future...plus I didn't want it to accidentally blow itself up..." Kor paused. "However, after studying its features I found some chinks in its armor that I wasn't aware of before. They're small, but together they can pose a huge threat to it..."

"...If it has to be done, what do we need to do?" Ken asked.

"You guys will handle everyone else. I'll deal with the drone myself."

"You sure you're up for something like that Kor?" The blue blur asked.

"Anyone knows that the biggest threat for an aircraft is not from another, but from the ground..." Kor stated.

**-New Mobotropolis-**

Since they conquered the city, the Iron Dominion had been capturing any civilians they could find. With the dome still over the city, it was hard to tell the time of day, not that it mattered much. Some were lucky enough to be evacuated to Angel Island for the time being, but a majority of the population still remained. The remaining Freedom Fighters put up a tough defense, even getting some help from Geoffrey St. John, who recently came back after finishing a mission. However, due to their small numbers and overwhelming odds, they have been forced into hiding, especially since the Dominion employed the now mind-controlled Hornet to find any who remained free people.

Currently, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, and Geoffrey were hiding in a small bunker, trying to plot their next move. At least they weren't entirely alone however. Nicole informed them of her restoration the day prior.

"I still cannot believe ze one tool Kor made to help us iz now being used against us. I hope ze other made it out ok..." Antoine said, gripping his sword nervously.

"Oh Ah'm sure they're alright. If they were captured they would have been here by now." Bunnie assured him.

"Given the circumstances with Nicole, it's not surprising they pulled the same trick on that drone." Geoffrey stated.

"Even so, we have to do something. We can't just sit here waiting around while everyone else is being captured or worse..." Amy said with a sullen look on her face.

"As much as I agree with you Amy, there isn't much we can do. Also, it's been awhile since Nicole last gave us a report." The skunk pointed out. "However, I do worry on Rotor's condition. He hasn't returned yet..."

At that moment, Nicole had materialized in the middle of the room. "Hello everyone. Sorry for the late arrival...I didn't have the opportunity to disappear like I would have hoped to earlier..."

"Got any good news Sug?" Bunnie asked.

"Unfortunately no...anyone whose been captured is being moved to the coliseum for legionization..." The A.I. stated grimly.

" 'Legionization?' Is it something like roboticization?" Geoffrey asked.

"No...it's much worse...they're going to be turned into brainwashed cyborgs to be shipped out to other Dark Legion chapters..." Amy replied.

"Yeesh...things were this bad under the first Robotnik..." The field agent said in a somber tone.

"I-It's not _that_ bad. Everything will work out when Sonic gets back. You'll see." The pink hedgehog assured him.

"That isn't the only piece of information I have...Rotor's been captured, and they're going to make an example out of him for the legionization process..." Nicole told them.

Everyone gasps in shock at this. Amy then grits her teeth, feeling herself overcome with newfound determination. "That's it! Let's get 'em!" She yelled as she summoned her hammer.

"Now hold on Amy. They outnumber us thirty-to-one! We'd be better served if we..." The skunk started.

"What? Go sneaking around like you do? They're going to ruin Rotor! At this point I'm tired of sitting here waiting for something good to happen. It's time we take matters into our own hands, and I'm gonna go save him with or without you!" Amy told him.

Everyone else looked at each other before coming to the same agreement. The longer they hide, the more harm it would do than good. With no clue when the other heroes may return, they were the only hope the city had to save as many as possible.

**-New Mobotropolis Detention Center-**

Several prisoners were being escorted out of the facility to the coliseum. Among them was Uncle Chuck, who had been captured during the early stages of the invasion. He had been put in a cell across from Eggman, who was also still in the facility. The still-insane doctor kept asking him about various things from over a decade ago, which grated on the old hedgehog's nerves. As he passed Eggman's cell, the doctor happily greeted him.

"Ah Sir Charles! How is the robot-sizer coming along?"

"Oh give it a rest Eggman! I have no time for your babbling nonsense!" The hedgehog shouted before being pushed out by a Yagyu guard.

Eggman became startled by the use of his nickname. He looks at the floor, then at his hands. "Someone used to tease me about that name...before I adopted it myself...I used to go by 'Julian,' but it's been ages since then, hasn't it?...I go by 'Robotnik' now, and sometimes...'Eggman'...of **my** Eggman Empire..." The doctor said to himself as he put his glasses back on.

He suddenly began to remember everything that's happened in the past decade. He even remembered all of his past defeats at the hands of Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he carefully plotted and executed, he could never seem to beat that hedgehog. But now, it finally dawned on him why. Now, he realized why Sonic had always managed to win, why he managed to bounce back despite being pushed to the brink. Everything that had been gnawing at him for years finally made sense!

Minutes later, Snively entered the facility. When asked why he bothered visiting Eggman due to his insanity, he replied that he just loved seeing the man in such a poor state. "I can't believe I actually used to fear that man." He chuckled to himself. He walked down the hall and reached his uncle's cell. "Hello uncle, how are you-" He stopped as he sees a _very_ lucid Eggman towering over him from behind the glass. "t-t-today?" He finished timidly.

"Hello Snively. I've figured it all out." Eggman states with a grin.

"F-Figured what out s-sir?"

"_Everything_...I figured out why I can't maintain my empire _and_ why Sonic is a constant problem." Eggman told him. "You see, in every experiment, in every scenario, there is the factor of chance. The unpredictable-the variant or mutation for which you cannot prepare. That hiccup on the quantum level that throws everything off. I'm talking about **chaos**, Snively. And who has been exposed to more Chaos Energy than Sonic? Don't you see? _That's_ why I can't beat him! _That's_ why I can't plan for him! Sonic is the embodiment of chaos! He is patently unpredictable! He is the constant inconsistency!" The doctor explained. "Now that I know of this, I can account for this issue to happen. Now, can you be so kind as to let me out so we can resume our plans?"

However, instead of complying with the mad man, Snively just bursts into laughter. "Even if you have managed to bring yourself back to your senses, you aren't getting out of that cell!" He laughed more.

"AND WHY NOT?!" Asked the enraged doctor, banging his fists on the glass.

"I've got everything I want now, uncle. I have power, I have authority, and I've found love. _Love, you fat fool!_ Why would I want to go back to being your toady? Sonic's been chased out of the city, I'm with Regina and I've never been happier. Why on Mobius would I want that to change?"

Now it was Eggman's turn to laugh. "HAAAAAH HAH HAH! Regina? Regina Ferrum? The Iron Queen?"

"Y-Yes. We're in love." Snively replied meekly.

"Ha-ha-ha. You deluded little twerp. She doesn't love you. She's a manipulator. She played you for a sap, and you? You _can't_ love! The only person you care about is yourself_. _You'll save your own skin before even thinking about her. She's just a stepping stone for you, and you've only fooled yourself into thinking otherwise." Eggman told him as he rolled on the floor laughing.

Snively wasn't amused. "N-no! Y, you're wrong! Our love is real, and you can stay here and_ rot!_" He yelled at his uncle before storming away.

"Oh you'll be back Snively! You'll be back." The doctor told him.

**-Half an hour later-**

Amy, Antoine, and Geoffrey arrive at the coliseum. Bunnie had to stay behind due to being vulnerable to technomagic. The stadium dawned banners with the Iron Dominion's insignia on them, a common sign to show who ruled the area. As the 3 stared from an exit, they saw the stadium was packed with captured citizens with the Iron King and Queen sitting on throne chairs in the middle of the arena. Nearby, Snively was inspecting robotic parts on a table. Next to him, Dark Legion surgeons stood ready near an operating table while a Yagu ninja stood guard next to a Egg Prison pod. Above the stadium, they could see Hornet mindlessly patrolling the area. Several other guards were patrolling about the stadium.

"Would the small man hurry? I do not wish to have to watch him play 'mad doctor' while a rebellion is still going on in our city!" Jun Kun stated.

"Patience Jun. We are not here to merely watch some mobians be converted. While the rebels have been oddly successful as of late, I surmised they may have hacked into our communications network. This public display is to merely draw them out." Regina assured him.

Jun muses at the fact their enemies will now come to them. "Hmm, very well."

Once Snively finished, he motioned for the guard to open the pod. Out of the several prisoners inside, they bring out Rotor. "Ah Rotor Walrus. He should make a fine legionnaire. Bring him to the table."

As the guards drag the walrus to the table, Rotor glares at Snively. "You used to be on our Brain Trust team back in the day Snively..."

"Ah yes. It was good for a few laughs, but it was all in good times. That is in the past now however." The overlander sneered.

"Yes it was...but that was also during the time I was an active Freedom Fighter." Rotor smirked before breaking free from the guard's grip. He disables them before moving in on Snively. The short man is overcome with fear about what's going to happen to him. However, before Rotor could strike him, his injured back flares up, causing him to kneel in pain. Other legionnaires take the opportunity to subdue him.

Snively manages to regain his composure once Rotor is restrained. "H-Hah! It appears you've lost your touch!"

Amy glares at the scene. "Alright, let's go." She said. Before she could move out from their hiding spot, Geoffrey holds her back.

"I still don't think this is a good idea. We're vastly outnumbered, they have a gunship up there, maybe if we can try to pick them off one-by-one..." He stopped as he looked at the unamused stares from Antoine and Amy.

"Do as you want, _Commander_. We are going to save our comrade_._" Antoine told him.

The skunk sighs. "Always wanted to go out in a blaze of glory anyway..." He mused.

The 3 then charge into the field. Amy runs in and smashes the operating table, causing the surgeons and Snively to scatter. Geoffrey moves to fend off the numerous legionnaires and ninjas while Antoine makes his way to the prison pod. The coyote quickly cuts it open.

"Quickly! Run for ze exits!" He tells the now free mobians. They waste no time and immediately run for it.

"Sonic must've lost his touch if he lost to these guys. I expected them to be more difficult to deal with." Geoffrey smirked as he fired several electric bolts at the soldiers. Some hit their mark and disable them. However, he soon loses his confidence as a large shadow looms over him. Before he could turn, Geoffrey was hit by the Iron King's Tremor Mace, tossing him across the field.

"I was expected more from someone who claims to be a 'special soldier'...you disappoint me skunk." Jun stated.

Amy witnessed this and moves to intercept him. However, she hears a familiar chopping sound in the air, and looks up to see Hornet looming 50 feet above her. The drone, now alerted to their presence, spins up its gun before sending a hail of fire at her. Amy quickly dodges to the side, and Antoine, who was busy fighting off some ninjas is forced to dodge as well. The bullets do nothing but tear holes into the ground.

Amy, while keeping a mental note to avoid any further attacks from the gunship, intercepts Jun's mace right as he was about to strike a disoriented Geoffrey. The 2 trade blows with neither side backing down. Geoffrey shakes his head, trying to right himself from the sudden attack. He sees Antoine being overwhelmed and moves to help him, only for the ground itself to suddenly form hands and pin him down. The same happens to any of the mobians trying to flee the area.

Regina laughs at them all. "Did you dearies forget this city is comprised of nanites? Every single thing here has the potential to be used as a weapon by me, and you already saw an example by your so-called A.I. earlier. Not only do I have control of the city, but I also have the combined forces of the 4 clans and the Dark Legion under my command, and added to that picture, this well-built yet mindless drone floating over your heads. So tell me 'Freedom Fighters', how could you possibly hope to win now?" She taunted them.

Right at that moment, lightning burst through the section of the dome above the stadium, allowing sunlight to flow into the coliseum. Everyone looks up, with mixed emotions spread among the crowd. The rest of the heroes had finally returned.

"Alright Iron Queen! You've had your fun long enough, so it's time to give you your eviction notice!" Sonic boasted.

"Well, it seems the cavalry has arrived. It'd be best if you pack it in Iron Queen." Geoffrey smirked at her.

Regina only scoffed. "It was rather foolish of you to show yourself Sonic, especially when _we_ have the tactical advantage now." She then summoned Iron Nicole. "Be a dear and blast those insects out of the sky."

Instead, a devious smile grew on the A.I.'s face as she traps Regina in an orb. "I've been free from your control for quite some time now, and I've updated my defenses against your Magitek..." Nicole stated coldly as she reconfigured her appearance to her normal self.

"You can't play me for a fool! You're just a program! You're a tool! A _thing_!" Regina yelled as she glared at the A.I.

"Once, perhaps. But my friends have helped me grow into something more than my original programming. Something you cannot and _will not_ control." Nicole retorted.

"Fine! If you won't control them for me, I'll just do it myself!" Regina told as she began to use the nanites of the orb and the surrounding area to reform the orb into a tank. However, Nicole asserts her control to prevent more nanites from being misused.

When Kor gets a better look at Hornet, he can see the robot is laced with ancient symbols, showing how much control the Iron Queen had over it. "What has she done with mah poor drone?...Alright Tails, bring 'er lower so I can jump out."

The kit nods and flys low enough so the engineer could get off without harm. Kor then unstraps his toolbox and begins to set up his new sentry. At that moment, Sonic quickly rushes to Amy's aid and knocks the Iron King to the ground. Naturally, the pink hedgehog hugs him on sight. Sally then corners Snively, who was trying to sneak away from the scene.

Above the stadium, Ken conjures lightning to gather everyone's attention. "Attention people of New Mobotropolis! Today, I am not here just as King of the Free People, but as a humble messenger! Yagyu, I have met with your leaders in the Dragon Kingdom, and by my word of honor, your ties with the Iron Dominion have been severed. You are free!"

The ninjas act in surprise while the Dark Legion is just confused. "Do they really think someone's 'word of honor' will be enough to end this fight?" Lien-Da scoffed. However, to her surprise, the ninjas cease conflict.

"Come fellow Yagyu! We are going home." A Yagyu Lord stated.

Lien-Da grabs the lord by the arm. "Wait wait wait! You can seriously believe the word of just one monkey! They could be lying for all we know!" She said angrily.

"I don't know how things work here, but where we are from, one's 'word of honor' is sacred." The lord retorted, yanking his arm away from her before leaving.

The cybernetic echidna watches as the ninjas leave the stadium, but then notices that the Iron King and Queen are busy fighting the heroes. Deciding it would be a good opportunity to rise to power, she orders the legion to fall back to her. "Fall back legionnaires! The Eggman Empire is in my hands now!"

However, Regina overheard her, and grew quite furious. She slammed the tip of her staff on the ground, temporarily disrupting nanites around her and even Nicole. Her eyes glowed green out of rage. "THE LEGION IS NOT YOURS TO COMMAND! THEY ARE _MINE_!"

Lien-Da keeps a smug grin on her face. "You're trying to control me with the neural chips you had distributed among the legion aren't you? You see, I was smart enough to have mine modified so I would continue to have free will! The legion is _mine_ to command! Looks like you've been played again!" She laughed.

Regina glared at her before smirking. "It seems you've forgotten about the explosions that were implanted in your cybernetics. And you forget I can manually set them_ off_!"

With a snap of her fingers, the explosives in Lien-Da's cybernetics detonated, engulfing her in flames. Regina then remembered about the drone still watching from above, so she ordered it to attack.

The legionnaires now stood in confusion. Last thing they remembered was an order to regroup. Then, to their horror, they see what's left of their grandmaster. One runs up to Snively, who managed to sneak away from Sally while she was distracted. "Sir! The situation is getting out of hand! What are our orders?!"

However, after witnessing everything he helped build crumble around him, Snively only had one thought in mind: run. He squealed and took off for an exit. The soldier looked flabbergasted. "...Gather up what's left off the grandmaster and fall back to the Eggdome!"

With that, the Dark Legion took their leave, not that anyone else noticed. They were still busy fighting the Iron King and Queen, and the compromised gunship. The heroes were having a hard time fighting Jun Kun. His immense strength was something to behold. He managed to keep the heroes at bay for awhile, until Espio arrived with the legendary Fan of Fen Xing, the same weapon that was used to defeat him before. Using the fan, Ken was able to literally blow the Ox well beyond the city's borders.

With Kor, his newly deployed sentry used its added mobility to draw the attention of the gunship before engaging it. Both sides shot cannon and rockets at each other, but the fast and small sentry was easily able to avoid the larger robot's attacks. After 5 minutes of constant shooting, the Hornet showed sighs of trouble just to keep itself in the air. Just a minute earlier, Kor targeted its gun with a missile shot, which blew it clean off. Now it was relying on its rockets and missiles targeting both the sentry and its master.

Kor just barely avoided getting blasted to pieces as he commanded the sentry to shoot its underside and wings. He _really_ did not want to destroy a weapon he spend months creating, but he had no say in the matter. With the Queen's control on it solid, they couldn't just turn it back to normal. As 25mm bullets pierced the underside, smoke and sparks erupted from the drone. At this point, both weapons bays were exposed, which gave Kor an idea. Using the wrangler, he targeted the side. 5 seconds after launch, the missiles hit the weapons mounted on the drone's sides, causing a chain reaction before the robot was engulfed in flames.

Right then and there, the flaming wreck of the drone fell to the ground, falling right on top of the thrones the King and Queen sat on earlier, causing a near defeating explosion. Kor stood there, gripping his wrangler tightly lifted his googles. Getting a good look at the drone's grave site, small tears formed in his eyes. The sentry just looked at where the rest of the fight was going on. Everyone had been momentarily distracted by the explosion.

To the heroes, this meant the battle is nearly won, but to Regina, this signaled that she was alone now. All of her allies had fled or retreated, leaving her to face the brunt of the heroes. She was cornered.

"All of your forces have left you behind Iron Queen. If you surrender now, no harm will come to you." Sally told her.

"Did you agree to this?" Antoine whispered to Ken.

"She convinced me justice was more important than revenge. Well, _mostly_." He replied.

"And if ya dont, I'll turn ya into nothin' but a red stain on the ground, and I got every reason to..." Kor stated, glaring at the Queen. His sentry had its guns pointed at her.

However, Regina merely laughed at the notion of surrender. "As if I would willingly hand myself over to you fools! I still have one last thing to fall back on!" She boasted.

The Queen then used the nanites around the area to form a massive, mechanical dragon. She fired back at the heroes, forcing them to disperse.

"Nicole! Can you out a stop to this?" Sally asked.

"It's taking up all my resources to prevent her from using anymore of the city's nanites, so unfortunately my hands are tied..." Nicole stated.

"Well then, looks like we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way!" Sonic smirked. "You Tails! Think you can distract it?"

"On it Sonic!" The kit replied. Still circling above the stadium in the Tornado, he dove toward the dragon, strafing it with bullets.

Angrily, Regina turned her attention toward the fox and chased after him. The allowed Ken to move in from behind and cast a powerful bolt at the beast. The blast forced the dragon to crash into the ground, allowing Amy to deal a hefty blow with her hammer. Seeing that she's taking too much damage, Regina spotted the hole the heroes made earlier and flew upwards to escape. However, everyone else had other plans. Kor aimed the sentry and shot missiles at the wings, damaging them to slow her ascent. Then, Sonic used this opportunity to run up the back of the robot before jumping several feet above it. He then performed his signature move, splitting the beast down its back in two and finished it for good.

As Regina fel,l Ken caught her using another magic cloud just feet off the ground, before unharmoniously dropping her. Antoine immediately places handcuffs on her before Geoffrey takes her away.

"Nicole? Damage report." Sally ordered.

"My systems are still coming online but so far everything appears to be stable. There are no signs of the Legion or Yagyu in the city." Nicole told her.

"Well, I guess that's it then." Sonic said, stretching.

"Think a celebration is in order?" Amy asked.

"We still have to clean up first Amy...and I ain't in the mood for any party..." Kor said as he gazed at the still burning wreck of his former robot. While the fire on the thrones of the former Iron Dominion seemed fitting, someone needed to put it out before the fire spread.

Meanwhile, during the fighting Snively took a nearby Dark Legion saucer and sped right toward the Detention Center. With the Iron Dominion on the verge of collapse, he knew he needed to get out of the city before the heroes caught up with him. God knows what they'll do if they get their hands on him. But, as much as he hated to admit it, he _needed_ his uncle right now. He was the only one who would have a plan ready to strike back at the Freedom Fighters. Snively flew faster as he saw the Iron King fly out of the city overhead.

Once he reached the prison, he punched in the code to open a cell door. Minutes later, Eggman stepped through the door, grinning at his subordinate. "It's about time Snively."

"Everything's ruined! The Yagyu are gone! The Dark Legion is retreating! Lein-Da exploded! I just saw the Iron King get blown somewhere! And I...I..." The short man stammered.

"And what of your oh-so-precious Regina?" Eggman questioned with a chuckle.

"No time! Must escape! New plan! Don't let them get me!" Snively yelled as he tugged Eggman's jacket.

"That's the Snively I know." The doctor laughed. "Let's go."

Eggman pilots the saucer as the two escape from the city while the heroes continue to battle what remained of the Iron Dominion. Snively looks back as they leave and sees the iron dome that once closed the city to world begin to disintegrate. The rest of the city was beginning to be reshaped back to its former glory. "M-Maybe while they're recovering, w-we can go back and rescue R-Regina." He suggested.

"No." Eggman said simply.

"B-B-But s-sir-"

"I said no. Now that I'm well rested, recharged, and ready to get back to work, Sonic won't know what hit him!" The doctor said before breaking out into a laugh. The two then disappeared into the forest, heading back towards the Eggdome.

**A/N: Again, sorry for the late update. Things are getting busy since college will start up soon. But we shall rejoice! The heroes have finally beaten the Iron Dominion and have retaken their city, but with Eggman back to his senses and he escaped, what will happen?**


	28. Closing Up Wounds

**A/N: My last chapter was just about 5k words, this one isn't exactly as long, but should be just as interesting. Anyway, let's see how the heroes are doing after once again thwarting another enemy.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to either Sega or Archie except my OC.**

It's been 6 days since the Freedom Fighters defeated the Iron Dominion, and things were winding down. The city was repaired, people were enjoying the freedom that had been denied to them (especially after avoiding being legionized), and some were still celebrating. Others were not as ecstatic however, and with good reason. Upon checking the Detention Center, the Freedom Fighters found that Eggman had escaped. Sonic reasoned that he and Snively might have headed back to the ruins of New Megapolis and already opted to start searching for him. His first lone endeavor resulted in him almost getting killed by a giant robot, so afterwards Tails and Nicole accompanied him, but so far they had no luck.

Among the debris to be cleaned up was what remained of the Hornet. Just from looking at the corpse, one could tell there was practically nothing left to rebuild. The only piece of machinery that survived was its rotary cannon, which got shot off in the fight. Everything else was either cut to pieces or too scorched to be of use. Obviously, Kor was rather upset about it. He could just build another one, but it would take time, and with Eggman on the loose it was something he likely didn't have. That wasn't the only thing the engineer had to worry about however.

Due to how easily the Iron Dominion invaded the city, people weren't as trusting of him as they used to. He heard some comments floating about on how his tech was useless or too deadly to be of use. It seemed that Hornet ended up gunning down a few civilians who resisted while under the Queen's control, and now he was getting some flak for that. People were already debating about it: one side being those who blamed him for certain things and the other being those who understood that it wasn't his fault. However, the engineer still felt that if he had acted sooner, he could've prevented the invasion from happening altogether. Despite his loss, the Council asked if he could build another robot to help defend the city given how well Hornet served, but he _needed_ to make sure it wouldn't be able to be used for evil. _Easier said than done_, the engineer told them.

Kor told the other heroes about the looks people were giving him now and they assured him he wasn't at fault of what happened, but that didn't put his mind at ease. It kept running through the former merc's mind to the point he questioned if he was being too lenient. He never did follow through with some of his promises to gun someone down, but then again he never had to. Intimidation was usually enough to make an enemy back off, but with recent events he wondered if it was enough.

Today, the engineer was pacing around in his empty hanger in thought. It was a lot more spacious now without the late drone. It was sunny out and the shield was down, so a light warm breeze was flowing. The sentries built inside the wall were on high alert though. Rotor, who was on break from his council duties called out to him. "Mind if I come in?"

"Come on in pardner..." Kor said, giving a side glance.

"Feeling any better?"

"To be frank, heck no..."

"I know it's hard Kor but it's not good for you to be moping all day..." Rotor told him.

"It ain't that easy Rot. Got too much on my mind right now...people bein' distrustin' of me, Hornet's gone, I'm practically sittin' here debating with myself on whether or not I can really kill someone like I used to..." The engineer said as he sat on a large crate. "It still crosses mah mind that I should've just shot them all on site, then maybe nothin' would've happened..."

"There's also your deal with Nicole."

"...She a whole 'nother story pardner..." Kor told him.

Since the events that happened in the digital world, Kor had become rather nervous around her. He wasn't really sure what their relationship would be like at this point. Whether or not something more would come of it was entirely up to them.

"Did you think of talking with a psychiatrist or something? I know Sonic, Tails, Sally, and Nicole are busy at the moment but have you even talked with Antoine and Bunnie since you first told us about this?" Rotor asked.

"To be honest, no...been too preoccupied with mah own thoughts to do much..." Kor said, scratching his hair.

"Well, whenever I think a migrane is on the rise, I usually go build some stuff. Heck, some of the things you see today I made because I was just bored!" He chuckled. "Keeps myself busy for awhile and it does take a load off, might help in your case." Rotor then looked at his watch. "Anyway I gotta head back to the castle." He turned to leave. "Oh, and as for Nicole, think talking with her might help? Could put you at ease for a bit." He suggested before exiting.

Kor watching the walrus leave before going through his thought process again. Maybe making something might help, and since he needed to design and build another robot to replace the gunship, it would be a good time to start. Getting up he walked over to a desk on the left side of the hanger. The engineer pushed aside a couple toolboxes and laid down a blank blueprint.

Running options through his head, "Hmm...I could build another flyin' type, but it may take awhile, and no one knows when Eggman may strike again...probably a regular walker will do." He said to himself as he started drawing. Surprisingly, his eyes and cybernetic hand was making the drawing look almost as if it was done by a computer. It did pay to have a Ph. D. in both robotics and weapon systems. He was so engrossed in his work he didn't notice how much time had passed, until someone tapped his shoulder.

Startled, the engineer whirled around only to find Nicole smiling at him. "O-Oh hey Nicole. D-Didn't think you'd be back so soon." He said, trying to calming himself.

"Soon? It's about 1900hrs." The A.I. stated.

Kor looked outside and noticed the sky was a nice shade of orange. He could also see the shield was on as well. "Oooh...so how'd the s-search go?"

The lynx sighed, ignoring his stuttering. "Inconclusive to a degree. We searched the Eggdome but didn't find any leads to Eggman. However, we did find a new 'friend' as Sonic put it."

"Who is it?"

"Are you familiar with the cyborg known as Dimitri?" She asked.

"Kinda...we saw him during that whole Enerjak situation right?" Kor replied, looking confused.

"Affirmative. It appears he's been cast out of the Legion. He was found inside a box and running low on power."

"Guess Eggman had no further use for him?"

"That's one possibility, or it could be for another reason."

"Well as long as he doesn't cause any trouble I'm ok with him being here." Kor said as he went back to drawing.

Nicole hovered just over his shoulder and looked at the design. Like the Hornet, it was rather unusual for a typical robot. "So what are you making this time?"

"To be honest N-Nikki, I'm tryin' to figure that out...but it's supposed to be a ground-based robot for defensive purposes."

"Is it to replace...you-know-who?..."

"...Yeah...the Council asked if I could build another one of these...I thought about makin' another gunship but it would take months, and with Eggman hidin' somewhere..." Kor fell silent as his eyes began to water again.

Nicole placed a hand on the engineer's shoulder. "Kor...I am truly sorry about what happened to it...like you, I also feel as if a major component had been forcefully taken from me...both of us spent months to build it, and it never got the chance to be used to its full potential..." She said in a sullen tone.

Earlier in the week, Nicole expressed her new understanding of anger at the how Hornet had been used in the same manner as her. It took a majority of a day for her to calm down, during the whole time it was hard just _trying_ to communicate with her.

"That really means alot comin' from you Nicole...still tryin' to move past that by buildin' this thing." Kor replied.

"Well, it may not replace Hornet in our processors, but maybe it can still perform the job well enough." The A.I. suggested. Then she detected a familiar presence enter the city. "It seems Sally has returned from her trip to the Dragon Kingdom."

"Why'd she go there again?"

"She wanted to see if Ken would be able to manage things on his end. I'm going to go see her now."

"Alright. Cya Nikki."

As the hologram disappated, Kor looked over his drawing. "Huh, guess Rotor as right about talkin' with her. Eased me up a bit. Though I need to quit stutterin' around her..." He said as his ears fell flat.

The robot would be designed to walk on 4 legs: two bent in the front and two in the rear. The legs in question had the same dimensions while the main body was somewhat small, yet supposed to be decently armored. The foward-facing legs would weld whatever weapon Kor decided to have it use. The robot's head had an enlongated snout with what looked to be 6 eyes at the very front. In short, the whole thing kinda looked like an arachnid.

"Ok this has to be the weirdest thing I've drawn so far...I doubt bullets would be of use from it unless I mounted weapons on the back, but then those could get shot off..." He thought for a second, thinking of the weapons some of Eggman's robots used. Before he hadn't considered the use of lasers as he felt they could be deflected off something simple like a mirror, and he found bullets to be better. However, this meant he would need to test his theory first. Kor looked outside and found the sun had already set. "Good thing I keep a spare bed here..."

**-Somewhere within the Eggdome-**

Snively breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Phew...I thought they would've found us this time..."

"You worry too much Snively. I've taken enough precautions to avoid detection. They will find us when I _let_ them." Said an irritated Eggman. He knew Sonic's constant searching would have them stumble upon their hideout at some point, but it wouldn't be any time soon.

"Well then, I believe I'll use this time to make a brief trip to the Dragon Kingdom and-".

"No Snively! I'm not wasting any resources to save your precious "girlfriend!" She had her chance to run things, and she failed. And on to more pressing matters, how is our little patient doing?" Eggman asked with a grin.

"Lien-Da is recovering thanks to the emergency surgery, and the first round of cybernetics proved successful." Snively said dejectedly, reading a chart. "However, I do not see the point of saving her when we have plenty of other legionnaires to use. Plus, she is very untrustworthy..."

"I'm well aware of that Snively, and you aren't trustworthy either. I'm well-aware of the fact many of my subordinates will want to usurp control, but it makes everything all the more interesting!" The doctor chuckled. "But enough jokes. It's time to get back to work!"

**-Two Days Later-**

As a new week began things had returned to normality. Sonic and Sally went to go settle a dispute between the Wolf Pack Nation and the Mysterious Cat Country and likely wouldn't return for about a day. Kor made steady progress with his project. After some difficulty (including burning himself once), he deduced that lasers would be an effective weapon for his new robot. The power of said weapons could be toned from giving small burns to literally cutting through armor. The only reason it was difficult was due to the fact that back during his mercenary days, the only type of future tech the team was familiar with was particle-based weapons, not beam weapons. The former proved to be obsolete, and the testbed for this was a modified sentry that had its rocket pod replaced.

So far there was still no sign of Eggman, and many hoped it would be kept that way. Sonic wanted to continue searching for him once he and Sally returned, but it seemed that Dark Egg Legion activity was picking up in other regions of Mobius. So now, the Freedom Fighters were prepared to be called for action at any time. Right now Tails was helpng Kor build the robot's body, which was to be the prototype. Nicole once again decided to lend a hand and was making the software. The head was finished along with half of the main body.

Tails wiped some sweat from his brow. "This is gonna be a pretty big one Kor. How long do you think we'll be making this?"

"Welp," He set down two power cores he had built, "By myself, might take a week at most. But with the two of us, I'd say 4 days and this is just the prototype. We got just about everything we'll need. Plus mah old friend Klaus pulled some strings and managed to get me some decent armor that we can put on this thing. It should arrive today." The engineer told him.

"So what exactly is it supposed to do?!" Tails yelled while soldering one of the forward arms to the main body.

"What I had in mind was for it to essentially by a stand-off robot that could in essence act like a self-propelled sentry! It could provide suppressive fire for durations at a time while being smart enough to judge the scenario and act accordingly! Also with the added benefit of shooting down small aircraft!" Kor replied, fitting one of the cores into the arms.

"Kinda sounds like what Hornet used to do...sorry for bringing that up." The kit said as he stopped.

"It's fine. Hornet was more of a close air support drone. This one will almost like a walking tank." Kor boasted with a grin.

"You sure get alot of crazy ideas." Tails chuckled.

"Been there, done that." Kor joked.

"At least we're having some fun while making it. I'm almost 50% done with the program." Nicole stated.

"Ok. Once you're finished Nicole we'll integrate it into the system. Then, once we finish the body, the REAL trials will start."

"Will the trials be similar to how the first one went?" The A.I. asked.

"We should have time to fully test it. Main reason Hornet didn't get a proper trial was due to Eggman suddenly attackin'...but it got some practice breaking into the city." Everyone laughed alittle at the fond memory.

"In all seriousness, what will you test it on?" Tails asked.

"First, we need to see if this armor will be good enough so I'll fire a multitude of weapons at it and hope it holds well. I plan on doing it while it's still turned off. Then we'll-"

"A GUN transport craft has requested permission to land. I have given them the all clear." Nicole suddenly stated.

"Guess your stuff's here then." Tails said.

All 3 walk outside as the GUN ship lands on the airstrip. The rear hatch opens before an overlander soldiers steps out. "Which one of you Kor Royce?"

"That'd be me pardner."

The soldier walked up to him. "Commander Tower has requested that you give a review of the armor once you have thoroughly tested it. Are you willing to comply?"

"Uh...sure I guess?"

Two other soldiers then moved 5 crates out of the aircraft before it took off minutes later. " 'Thorough review?' What kind of armor is this anyway?" Tails asked.

"Well...Doc said it was some experimental stuff GUN was makin' for their robots to combat Eggman. I told him I needed somethin' decent enough and I guess they decide it was a good opportunity to have me test it." Kor explained.

Opening one of the crates they found the armor to have gray coloring with some kind of futuristic appeal to it. After scanning it, Nicole determined it was made with titanium alloys, making it rather light yet effective. Effective thickness was 5 in. in general and greater at certain angles. The two foxes spent the rest of the day soldering armor onto the robot parts that were already made. Nicole also made some good progress as well. She coded in the main processes for the CPU, movement functions and basic targetting protocols. However, she still needed to form the codes as to how this robot will be able to adapt to changes in a battle situation, along with defensive measures, power output, and Kor said he'd help her make a fail-safe to prevent this machine from falling into the wrong hands.

After 3 days passed the robot was finally completed. Standing 8 feet tall, it looked intimidating to approach. It's power source was 2 chaos drives nestled in the robot's core. Both would require changing after certain period of time had passed. The robot was still offline as its code was still missing. Throughout Thursday people heard weapons being fired at the airport, making them think another attack was underway. However it was far from it. Kor lifted his goggles as the smoke cleared from a missile being launched at the drone. It was still standing strong, though some pieces of armor had been ripped off.

"Ok so bullets up to 30mm are ineffective (anything higher might penatrate), rockets only cause scratch marks (only regular rockets, EMPs, or incendiaries may cause damage), missiles have some effect so heavy weapons like anti-tank rifles may be effective..." The engineer said, putting notes on a clipboard.

"From the sounds of everything, I take it that it passed?" Nicole asked as she materialized next to him.

"Seems like it. I fired everythin' I had currently at it. Only thing I didn't test was a heavy weapon like a tank or somethin'."

"I see. Well, you may want to hold off on that today as people are beginning to generate noise complains..." The A.I. stated.

Kor just sighed. "They just don't understand this is for their own safety. It's not like they can do mah job better...one of these days they're gonna end up making a decision they'll regret..."

"...This is about how others have been treating you lately, is that correct?"

Kor didn't respond, only staring. From the silence, she knew the answer.

"Many times we've told you, it wasn't your fault on what happened...I know you keep telling yourself if you acted differently, maybe the outcome would have changed. But...from a logical standpoint, there is nothing we can do now to change that. And based on what you've told me before, you said you would never actually kill another being unless they deserved it. From understanding that, I see that the reason you didn't shoot them was because you hoped you wouldn't have to. We both saw what I assume was fear in their eyes, yet both of us didn't account for the Iron Queen to...you know..." Nicole explained, staring at the ground for a brief moment. "Yet, you, Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Ken came back to protect everyone else. You helped save the city, and despite the loss of Hornet, something greater may take its place." She said, gazing at the inactive robot. "You aren't becoming 'soft' as you describe it Kor, you're just being generous enough to give others a chance before deciding to...execute them." She finished.

Kor mulled over what she told him. In all the hectic activity from last week, he completely forgot how he normally handled dire situations, but then he remembered that encounter with the Destructix. As much as he wanted to shoot them dead, that intimidation factor struck again so he didn't have to do much to make them comply (aside from smacking Fiona so she'd get to the point). Perhaps intimidation was good enough to prevent most issues, for now at least. In the event a battle was to occur however, he would have his weapons primed to kill, he would make sure of that. The engineer made a mental note to ask the Council about a particular issue later.

"...You're right Nicole. I've been thinkin' about everything the wrong way...guess stress will do that. Hell, even Sally was crying when we had to skip town, though I think that might have been mah emotions adding to her stress. I was just so upset over the fact of how easily the city fell. I even told the others this, but I could build a sentry nest that would last hours against attacks, but I forgot to take into account of how big this place is compared to what I was used to. So with that being taken into account, I have a general idea of what to expect. Thanks for clearin' mah head by the way." He said, smiling at her.

"You're welcome. And to brighten your mood further, I finished the coding last night." Nicole replied, handing him a small disk. "As much as I would like to stay to see you activate it for the first time, Rotor requested my assistance with something at his house."

"Um, ok? Did he say what it was?" The engineer asked.

"No, but the look you are giving now was what I had when he asked. Let me know how it goes." She said, winking at him before disappating.

Kor looked at the disk then back at the robot. Taking it out of it's case, he walked up to the robot and opened a slot on its left side. He watched as the slot closed before looking at the robot's face. It gave an empty stare in return, until the glowing red pits of its snout glared back at him as his newest creation jolted awake.

**A/N: And that's another one down. Time for a little explanation as the way I explained the robot is quite vague. **

**The robot Kor had built is actually a monster from the show Code Lyoko that's called a Tarantula. I'm talking about the first series, not the reboot if you ever bothered to watch it. For those who've watched Code Lyoko, you know exactly what the Tarantula is. For those that don't, it's essentially a 4 legged monster Xana created during the first episode of the second season. It's shown to be smart, powerful and deadly: one alone had wiped out the Lyoko Warriors without much effort upon its debut. Of course since then those kids learned how to deal with them but in numbers their threat grows, and on episode 54 3 of them were firing an endless barrage of lasers (though they couldn't seem to hit Odd...).**

**I saw the reboot of the series, and was rather pissed of how they changed this robot. Instead of firing from its forward legs like in the first series, it fired from the Eye of Xana on its head, which was pretty stupid and I can imagine it's hard to aim like that with the way it was built. Anyway, I decided to use it because 1) it's my favorite monster of the series, and 2) I plan to have it used for quite awhile. More modifications to it will be added as well. You can look on google and youtube to look at it's behavior. Just look from episode 27 and onwards.**


	29. Peak Interest

**A/N: Welcome to chapter 29. As you have read before, Kor has just about completed a robot that will replace his fallen gunship in the line of duty. Just how effective this weapon will be, time will tell. However, this isn't the only thing that will change.**

Throughout the month, the heroes had plenty to keep themselves busy. Although there was still no sign from Eggman, Sonic and Rotor found something that caused some concern among the heroes. While helping the Arctic Freedom Fighters, they found the Dark Egg Legion had been constructing a large supply and refueling depot. What it would be used for remains unclear as they destroyed it before it was completed. At first, the Freedom Fighters dismissed it as they thought it would be a one time occurance. They were proved wrong as just days later, a local 'Freedom Fighter' group called the Sand Blasters of the Great Desert, reported the Legion guarding another refueling outpost. Also, other fuel depots were reported to be either under construction or have been built in other regions. Sonic and Bunnie dealt with Great Desert base, though it was a little complicated.

Firstly, the Sand Blasters were far from heroic. They were moreso a ragtag bunch that abused their rights to get what they want, forcing any wandering innocents to join them or otherwise. They even forced Sonic into helping them to a degree. Second, the Dark Egg Legion chapter in this region was headed by Beauregard Rabbot, Bunnie's uncle. He explained that this chapter formed due to the constant abuse from the Sand Blasters, all because half of them had been roboticized and forced against their will to work for Eggman. "Once a robian, always a robian" they said.

Beauregard said they would let them have the depot, but if they surrendered the chapter would likely face termination from either the Sand Blasters or Eggman himself. So, Bunnie and Sonic found a middle ground by rendering the whole facility inoperable whilst faking a fight (also Sonic's presence might cause the fat man to be more lenient). Kor amusingly said if he had time he would head there and teach the Blasters a thing or two about being heroes. Of course, Sally told him no because, as she said _"I don't want you to just march on down there and murder them all. The populace may take it the wrong way..." _The red fox just boasted they would have had it coming anyway.

Speaking of Kor, the engineer completed the trials for his newest robot, which he now dubs the 'Tarantula'. He made some additional modifications since first activating it, such as making the snout have a functional mouth that allowed the bot to crush anything it sunk its teeth into by applying a force of 900lbs per square inch. Due to the very short range, it's only useful in extreme melee distance. He also added gripping hooks to the parts of the legs that made contact with the ground (the bot had trouble walking through uneven terrain due to how the tips of the legs were designed). He also added more protocols and strategies the robot could use, as well as an hidden function no one knows about. To finish it off, he also gave it a regular paint scheme and added an icon on the top of its head.

**A/N: Said color is how the tarantula typically appears in the series and the icon is the same used for the TF2 engineer class.**

He presented it to the both the Acorn Council and top officials of the Royal Army, and while they were wary of it at first, they accepted it. However, unlike Hornet which had only one robot built (mainly due to time constraints), Kor built 4 more tarantulas. This task required dismantling 4 more of the walled sentries for parts, and with it certain that Eggman was planning something big, the engineer was going to work his ass off reinstalling 3 of them.

Tails and Kor were currently realigning a missile battery on the southern portion of the wall. The kit was hovering in the air whilst Kor stood on the snout of one of his tarantulas. The others were patrolling elsewhere in the city.

"Almost there...aaaannnnnd, done! Now we have 2 left." Tails smiled.

"Yeah..." Kor huffed. "Startin' to regret takin' these things apart..."

"Well if you didn't, you wouldn't have these cool-looking guys." Tails gestured to the robot. It gave a light chirp in response before carrying its master around the perimeter.

"Yeah, though we still don't know what Ol' Eggy is plannin'. Just what could he be makin' that requires megatons of fuel?" The engineer asked.

"If I had to guess, a doomsday weapon. He's done it before..." Tails inquired.

"Yeah that wouldn't surprise me. Speaking of which, where'd Sonic run off to now? Thought he was gonna stick around for this." The red fox asked. He gently tapped the robot's head to get it to stop. Next, he opened a spot in the wall where one sentry battery had previously been.

"He said he was needed to help Geoffrey on some mission to get a chaos emerald, why you ask?"

"Well, it ain't that I don't trust Geoff, well actually I kinda don't anyway given his history, but has he been kinda...off to you lately?"

"He has been on lots of mission's lately, so I think he's probably just stressed. Speaking of which, no one's seen his wife Hershey in a long time." The kit pointed out.

"Same here, but it's just that look in his eyes...last time I looked at 'im I swore it reminded me that look when there was a BLU spah dressed my teammates..." Kor said as he bolted in a launcher and ammo storage for one of the sentries.

"You don't think he's gonna betray us do you?" Tails asked. The older fox just shrugged.

"He might, I ain't sure but I'm just wary of him..."

"Riiiight...so when will you finally get the guts to confess to her?" The Kit asked, a smirk growing on his face.

"To who now?"

"Dumb play dumb with me Kor. Being around Sonic most of the time I've picked up some cues when a guy's in love. It's been about a month now and all you two do is make small talk." Tails said.

"Well it's been a busy month you know..."

"You said that last time I asked. So what's your excuse now?"

"Ugh...fine. I just haven't gotten around to ask her out since 1) I'm nervous and 2) can't exactly take her to a place to eat since she technically can't eat anything..." Kor said, giving the kid an annoyed look.

"Well, you guys can go for a stroll. I've seen Sonic and Sally beginning to do that. Still surprised she managed to get him to slow down...by the way, this trigger goes here right?" Tails asked.

"Yeah, and what were they like before then?"

"Not really my place to tell you, but I can help you if you're so nervous." The young genious said.

"Thanks Tails but-"

"NICOLE! KOR WANTS TO ASK YOU SOMETHING!" Tails yelled before the engineer could finish.

Within an instant, the A.I. had materialized next to them. Kor turned to give the kit a piece of his mind, but found he had vanished. Glaring at the empty space next to him, his face softened when he turned to Nicole.

"So...um...how you been?"

"I've been doing...alright. I had just finished sending Sonic and Geoffrey St. John to the Special Zone so they may retrieve an emerald. Is there something wrong?" The holo-lynx asked.

"Well...not really but...since you're here, I wanted to ask if..." He lost his voice momentarily. Kor started to berate himself. He can handle more dangerous situations, yet he can't talk to a girl? He took a deep breath, "You wanna go on date later?" He spat very fast.

Nicole looked at him questionably, not understanding what he just said. "Could you repeat that please?"

"I said...you...you wanna go on a date later?...Like on a walk or something?"

Nicole paused for a moment. "If I'm not busy with anything later, I'd like to." She smiled.

**-The Special Zone-**

If one were to describe the Special Zone: weird, unfathomable, or just outright insane would come to mind. This realm of existence is where the chaos emeralds reside. The emeralds were sent here so anyone undesirable wouldn't be able to obtain them easily. They were also protected by a powerful demi-god known as Feist. This zone used to be called the Zone of Silence, but Feist used the chaos emeralds to turn it into a place of his liking. He only allows 'mortals' to take one emerald if they complete his challenges (which are unbearably hard), or because of something hilarious they do. Upon exiting from the Star Posts, Sonic and Geoffrey found themselves standing on a small planetoid.

"Man this place brings back crazy memories..." Sonic said as chills went down his spine.

"Losing your nerve already Hedgehog?" Geoffrey taunted.

"Pfff, I'd like to see you have to come here multiple times just to get an emerald." The Blue Blur retorted with a smirk.

The two were suddenly floored as the planetoid they stood on was raised upward. Looking up, the meet the pupil-less eyes of one large panda.

"Feist is not in the mood for an infestation of mortals..."

"Hey hey hey easy there big guy! It's me Sonic remember?! The guy who gave you a little bit of fun for an emerald some time ago?" Sonic said quickly.

"Hmm...Feist does recognize the blue hedgehog, yet you remind me of another pest I had to deal with not too long ago..." The giant being spoke, cracking the planetoid a bit from his rage. However, he calms himself. "Feist assumes you are here for yet another emerald. You shall be rewarded, if you can complete Feist's challenge." The panda smirked. "But be warned: if you attempt to defy Feist like the _others_ have, you _will_ be punished..."

"Riiight. Wonder who else's been poking around here." Sonic said with his arms crossed.

"So Feist, you like games correct?" Geoffrey asked.

"Indeed..."

"Then why don't we raise the stakes a little? You pit me and Sonic against each other, to see who can reach the emerald first." The skunk grinned.

"Hmm...should be interesting. Feist accepts your request."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Sonic asks, giving the agent an unamused look.

"It'll be easy Sonic. Doesn't matter which one of us reaches the emerald. Oh, and I'm going to reach it first." Geoffrey smirks.

"Hah, in your dreams stinky." Sonic taunts.

In front of them, a narrow, winding path forms. It has plenty of obstacles that would likely kill anyone not skilled enough to surpass it, or if you weren't Sonic.

"May the best super-speedy hedgehog win!" Sonic said before taking off like a bullet. However, Geoffrey just stood there with a stoic face. As the Blue Blur reached the emerald, the agent pulls out a dart and inserts it into his wrist-mounted crossbow. Sonic returns no less than a few seconds later.

"Aw you're no fun John. You didn't even try!" Sonic laughed, turning his back to him as he tossed the purple emerald in his hands.

"I didn't need to." Geoffrey said with an evil grin before shooting Sonic in the back. Sonic flinches from the impact, then finds himself unable to move.

"What...what are you doing Geoffrey?!"

"Simple: I just let you do all the hard work, while I go and do what's right!" The skunk said before booting the immobilized hedgehog off the planetoid, sending him into the abyss below. Sonic screamed until he was no longer within hearing range. Feist watched the whole ordeal and couldn't help but find the treachery amusing. He was so busy laughing that he didn't even bother to stop Geoffrey as he picked up the emerald and exited the zone via portal.

**-Meanwhile: New Mobotropolis-**

Kor and Nicole strolled through the streets of the city as the sun had begun to set. They chatted amicably for the last hour or so, discussing things from a scientific level to just cracking jokes. Nicole was still working on her humor though.

"And so I told Sonic to go left, he said right, then I said 'no, left', he said right again, but I kept telling him left and he got confused for 2 seconds." Nicole told him, giggling from that memory.

Kor chuckled. "Least he wasn't lost. I remember this one time myself, Heavy, and Spah had to go to court due to accidentally blowing up a store. Don't ask how it happened...anyway, Soldier was our lawyer and-"

"Wait, he's actually familiar with the legal system?" The A.I. asked.

"Nah, but his roommate was a wizard so anythin' was possible. Anyway, so the second he came in, all of us were doomed from the start cause knwoing how dumb he was. He ended up gettin' into a fight (literally) with the prosecuter, and sent the guy to the hospital at the end of the day. But the whole thing was just stupid because the town realized they couldn't hang us on false charges, but we had to pay for that guy's hospital bill..."

"...I'm...not sure if that was supposed to be funny." Nicole said questionably.

"Yeah...I suck at telling jokes."

"The last one you told was quite funny actually."

"Well, sometimes." Kor smirked. They spied one of the Tarantulas crossing the street ahead of them. It was on its usual patrol, though they were still new the people as they gave them odd glances or sometimes just backed away out of fear. In some instances Nicole had caught some people eyeing her critically, but she initially dismissed it.

"Now that it crosses my CPU...what kind of thought process do these defense robots have since there are 5 units?" The holo-lynx asked.

"Well, since I had time to build more than one, I wanted them to develop a pack mentality. In a battle against a small group they could force them into a corner or an ambush, that way they could unleash the full brunt of their firepower on the enemy from multiple angles. In defensive situations, they could attack from several directions or form a single line and send a barrage of lasers down range. Haven't seen it yet, but they're capable of doing it. Along with that, the grunts and roars they make is their way of communicating in their own coded language. You helped in that department." The engineer explained.

"I see." The A.I. noted. "Though what made you install a functioning mouth in them?"

"Well...it just came to me." Kor said nervously. "The thought of having it bite something as a last resort seemed fitting if someone got within ineffective gun range."

"Sounds like a decent idea...if anyone can ever manage to get that close to it." Nicole smirked. Kor chuckled and nodded in agreement. Their walk continued into the evening, the moon was full and it was a pretty clear night. They arrived at the Lake of Rings, which was now a chao garden. An incident involving Snively in a mech resulted in Vanilla and Cream's house being destroyed, forcing them and the chao that lived with them to relocate to the city. As the two sat, they could see some of the chao either playing or sleeping.

Kor watched them for a minute before looking at Nicole. He noticed the frown on her face as she stared at her reflection in the water. "Somethin' on your mind Nikki?"

"...Ever since the Iron Queen compromised my systems...I believe the people have begun to treat me differently...before, I could interact with them without question, and they would welcome my presence. But now...now it feels as if I can't show my face in public...they're starting to fear me...I built this city not only for them, but also so I could mingle with them, to live amongst them, to feel...alive...but it seems they are beginning to prefer that I don't...maybe I am too dangerous to be running this city..." She explained in a sullen tone. Tears were beginning to stream from her eyes.

Saying that Kor was shocked would be an understatement. The engineer couldn't believe that the population was starting to focus their angst on Nicole. Sure, she captured a good number of people for the Iron Dominion, but it wasn't like it was entirely her fault. It would explain why people had stopped passing judgment at him lately. He could handle the criticism pretty well (and fire insults back), but with Nicole...it was much different.

The fox gently grabbed her hand with his organic hand. "Nicole...from what you told me it seems you're going through the same thing I had went through just days after we drove the Dominion from our city...remember what you said to me that day? 'It wasn't my fault'...now I'm tellin' you the same thing. Don't blame yourself for being influenced by the queen. Yeah, both of us severely underestimated her and things went south...really south...but in the end we got you back, we got our city back, dismantled their power structure, and gave them an embarrassing defeat. That's a big comeback for all of us. In my opinion, the populace really need to get over themselves...they say your a threat to everyone, yet me, you, and the rest of the Freedom Fighters are the only ones capable of protecting them from the likes of Eggman. I can guarantee you, the second we leave and their exposed to that kind of evil they'll be beggin' us to come back. They just don't realize it. The fact they think you're a threat is just the fact they've become engrossed in their irrational fears..." The engineer explained. He could rant all day about it but he decided to stay on point.

"So don't say that you're a threat to us. You aren't, and if you were, you wouldn't have the friends you do now...and...I wouldn't have fallen for you..." Kor said the last part nervously while looking at the ground. When he looked back at Nicole, she was staring intently at him. In that instance, he began to realize how beautiful her emerald green eyes were under the moonlight. He could even see a small electrical current in them.

Nicole stared in the fox's blue eyes for what seemed like hours, though it was only for a moment. Bringing herself out of her daze, "I have for you as well...however, I couldn't find an appropriate response for it...or how to tell you..."

"Well, a certain lynx did peck mah cheek in the digital world. If that wasn't a sign then I'm lost." Kor chuckled, looking at the scenery.

The A.I. didn't have to search her memory logs as that moment was still fresh in her mind. She began to blush as a new idea formed in her head. "Well, if you're lost, I have another indication for you..." She giggled.

Now the engineer became confused. "What would that be?"

Instead of talking, she acted. Nicole brought a hand up to Kor's cheek to turn his head towards her and planted her lips onto his. The former mercenary was completely caught off guard and frozen for a few seconds before he began to kiss her back, pushing himself closer to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Any of the chao that were still awake watched with hearts floating on their heads, finding the scene to be cute. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last long as Nicole suddenly got an urgent message.

Even though she didn't want to, the lynx pulled away. "Sorry Kor, but Sonic's requesting everyone to meet at Freedom HQ immediately. Something went wrong during his mission..."

Kor sighed, a little annoyed. "Alright. I'll meet ya over there. It was nice spending time together though..." He said, his face was still heated from the kiss.

"Likewise..." She smiled before dissipating.

Kor walked for a brief moment before whistling into his fingers. A Tarantula that was nearby heard it and walked toward it's creator. "Hey pardner, need a lift to the HQ." The robot knelt its head, allowing him to climb on before it stomped off in a quick pace.

**-Elsewhere: Casino Night Resort-**

Mammoth Mogul was busy looking at the profits his casino was raking in. Ever since its creation, people from all over the world, be it mobian, overlander, or otherwise, couldn't resist the temptation to win big or lose all their money in the span of 3 minutes. As he continued to type on his computer, the doors to his office were suddenly kicked open. Geoffrey stepped in, carrying a battered Coconuts.

"Y-y-your eleven o'clock is here, s-sir..." The robot monkey said as Geoffrey dropped him in a heap.

"Hmm, Commander St. John, is it? And with a Chaos Emerald, no less. I'm not sure if we have enough chips to exchange for that." Mogul said as he gave the skunk his undivided attention.

"I'm not here to gamble Mogul, but rather, I have a proposition to make." Geoffrey smirked.

"If you are asking me to cause unfathomable chaos, you are out of luck. I have retired from daily antagonism and malevolence, and I certainly have no need for a second chaos emerald." The mammoth told him.

"The emerald isn't for you, but it is required for my mission, and you have the last thing I need."

"And what kind of mission are you on this time?..." Mogul said in a bored tone.

"Simple: To restore the _true king _to the throne." Geoffrey said as he gestured to a figure chained to the wall several feet from them.

The being, was Ixis Naugus. Once a powerful wizard, Naugus was from an old faction known as the Order of Ixis who sought to control all aspects of life. In the past, Naugus allied himself with Mogul in hopes of becoming as powerful as the old mobian. However, he was moreso used as a meat-shield. When both were captured by Eggman, Mogul used Naugus as this to protect himself from the effects of the Egg Grapes, which left the old wizard as nothing more than an idiotic beast who couldn't tell what was going on.

"And why exactly would I allow you to restore that buffoon's sanity? The reason I had him up here was to not cause unrest in my place of business." Mogul asked.

"You shouldn't have to worry about him Mogul. You're already stronger than him anyway, even if he does have an emerald. I assure you, the price for Naugus is sure to bring an upheaval in New Mobotropolis. The citizens will likely look for a means to escape their troubles at home, which could increase business for you."

The mammoth gave Geoffrey's proposal some thought. While it would be good to ring in more business for his night club, it could also have an extra side effect of making a certain hedgehog miserable knowing his past with the greedy wizard. Plus, he could finally get Naugus out of his office. It was a win-win. "Very well. You may use him, as I myself have grown tiresome of his presence. But, you have to promise your 'mission' will make Sonic's life miserable..." He chuckled darkly.

"Done and done." The skunk replied and the two shook hands, confirming their deal.

Geoffrey then approached Naugus. The Ixis wizard was well out of focus and constantly hissing at nothing in particular.

"My master, I have something that you will need dearly. With this emerald, not only will you regain your powers, but your sanity. Take it." Geoffrey told him.

Naugus curiously snatched the emerald from the agent. Within an instant, he was overcome with a surge of energy. His eyes refocused, his strength returned, and his memories came back to him all within the span of a minute. The Ixis Wizard cackled darkly as he broke the chains restraining him, and encased the emerald in a newly-crafted staff.

"Let no joyful voice be heard! Let no one look to the sky with hope! And let this day be cursed for those who witness the return of **IXIS NAUGUS**!"

**A/N: And that all for this chapter. It seems Kor and Nicole finally got closer than before (he should thank Tails later), though with the Ixis Naugus taking the stage, what kind of 'magical' adventures will the heroes have. And let's not forget Eggman, whose probably getting close to finishing his project.**

**Also, before anyone says otherwise: Friendship is stupid magic.**


	30. Domestic Issues

**A/N: Thirty chapters in and this story is still gaining views, which I'm happy about. Reviews don't entirely matter as long as someone's reading it. So, as you have seen last chapter, Geoffrey had brought Naugus back to his senses. The old fool wasn't much of a villian to begin with, but he'll be a threat for the forseeable future.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

"So let me piece this together: he stunned you, took the emerald, and left you to die in the abyss?" Sally asked.

"Exactly. Didn't help that that giant, badger, panda-thing didn't help! He just sat there laughing at me!" Sonic replied.

The Freedom Fighters were gathered in the lab as Sonic explained what happened on his mission. Unfortunately, it wasn't the first time Geoffrey had betrayed their trust. However, whenever he did it was usually for a good cause as he was in deep cover for the Royal Secret Service. But this time, stabbing Sonic in the back and making off with a powerful gem? That's a serious act of treason no matter how you look at it.

The princess sighed. "I know Geoffrey's been rather elusive as of late, even during his past missions, but I never thought he'd stoop this low..." She growled.

"Well Sal Gal, what do y'all want us to do?" Bunnie asked.

"We find out where he could have possibly headed and then bring him in for questioning." Sally ordered.

"If I may interrupt, lookin' at these logs from two of the turrets, someone was detected approachin' the city but headed to the northwest. After that it's just gone." Kor said while looking at his PDA.

"And how long ago waz that?" Antoine asked.

"Around 8:30 PM."

"I have reason to believe that may have been Geoffrey. No other detection notifications were found around that time period." Nicole stated.

"Great, he could be anywhere now..." Sally groaned.

"Don't sweat it Sal. Ol' Stinky will have to show himself at some point." Sonic told them. "And when he does come out, I'll be sure to give him a piece of my mind."

"Very well. At this point all we can do is wait." Sally said. Everyone else shrugged and was about to do whatever for the rest of the evening until Tails spoke up.

"If it concerns anyone, I heard the Forget Me Knots were gonna have a concert tomorrow night." The kit said.

"A concert eh? Would be a nice chance to unwind for a minute, especially after all we've been doing this past month. Dontcha think so Sal?" Sonic said with his trademark grin.

"Hah...I'll see if I don't have anything planned for tomorrow." The chipmunk replied with a grin of her own.

"I would like to attend, but me and mah wife have the other planning to do." The coyote boasted.

"_Plans_ darling. Hope y'all enjoy yerselves though." Bunnie told them.

"I'd go too but I have some stuff I need to work on here. Maybe I can figure out where Geoffrey went and disappeared." Rotor told them as he lied back in his chair.

"Eh...I _might _go." Kor shrugged.

"You 'might' Kor?" Nicole asked.

"Just sayin', ain't really one for concerts and such." The red fox replied.

"Well surely you don't have anything else planned tomorrow, so I would recommend you go. Unless you want to be bored doing nothing." The lynx smirked.

"Hah, bored she says." Kor snorted. "Fine I'll go, so long as you do as well." He said.

"Fair enough."

"So we'll meet at...when does it start again?" The engineer asked.

"Seven PM." "6:30 then." "I'll be waiting..." The lynx winked before exiting the HQ's system.

Kor turned and saw everyone was giving him a sly look. "What?"

"It would seem ze engineer has found a lover of his own." Antoine said.

"So how did your 'walk' go?" Tails asked, grinning at Kor.

In response, the engineer's face went red (well, redder than normal). "I-It was pretty good."

"From the way you stutter it sounds like something happened." Sonic teased.

"Please do tell." Sally pressed.

"Ok first off, that's mah business alright? Y'all gonna have to do some snoopin' if you want to find out we made out for a short period-" The engineer's eyes bulged from what he said. "Dag nabbit no-one's supposed to know that..." This prompted everyone else to laugh.

"You so owe me for helping you Kor. You would've take forever to ask her." Tails boasted.

"Was it really that obvious?..."

"Yeah, we were all wondering when you two would make it official. It was hard enough watching you both being so nervous around each other." Rotor explained.

Kor just sighed, leaning on a table. "I suppose...still a little pissed our moment was ruined when we got called here..." He said, somewhat glaring at Sonic

"Yeah sorry about that buddy." The blue blur said sheepishly, rubbing his quills. "Anyway now that we got that out of the way, I'm going to bed." The hedgehog finished, dashing out of the lab.

"He's got a point, it's rather late." Sally yawned. "Feel free to stay here for the night guys, I'm out too."

"Pff, I'm going back home. Plus my Tarantula is still sittin' out there." Kor replied.

"Welp, see you guys tomorrow. Enjoy yourselves." Rotor said before exiting himself.

**-Next Day: Early Evening-**

Kor was busy drying himself after taking a shower. Aside from checking on his own systems he spent the majority of the day sleeping. Sonic and Tails dropped by and noticed he left his front door unlocked. Given the circumstances, it was perfect for a prank. They performed the old whip-cream-to-the-face trick and, needlessly to say, they spent the next hour running away from a pissed off engineer. However, the former mercenary managed to intercept the duo and deliver two bonks to their skulls. "Next time they try that again, they better hope they have medical insurance..." He grumbled.

Looking at the time he noticed it was close to when Nicole would arrive. Looking through his closet he put on a simple blue shirt and applied some deodorant. He didn't wear pants due to not wanting his tail to feel uncomfortable, along with finding he had plenty of fur that covered his privates. He spent the next few minutes watching TV until he heard a knock at his door.

Walking over he opened it to reveal the lynx herself. Kor almost didn't recognize her immediately with the large hat she was wearing. Instead of her usual purple robes, she wore blue shorts, a purple tank top matched with a large purple hat that had a blue band with a buckle on the side. "H-How do I look?" She asked shyly.

"In mah opinion, real cute." Kor smiled.

"Thanks...I figured it'd be nice to dress into something more appropriate for this event. Also, I don't think I would feel too welcome if people noticed my presence..." Nicole said in a sullen tone.

"Well, try not to worry too much about it Nicole. After all, this is a chance where we get to enjoy ourselves for the evening." The fox replied. "Besides, if anyone gives ya any trouble they'll have to deal with me."

This brightened the A.I's mood to a degree. "You're right...it's time I stop letting what others think of me bringing me down. Ready to go?"

"Ladies first." Said the engineer. "Speaking of which, what kind of songs do you think they'll play tonight?"

"I'm not sure." Nicole said as they walked. "From what I've heard, Mina had been working on a new album for awhile now. Guess she finally finished it. Also, before it slips my mind...Sally kept teasing me about a certain something. Take a guess as to what it was."

Kor sighed. "Accidental slip of the tongue let them figure out we're an item..." This earned a playful punch to the shoulder from the lynx.

"Idiot." She giggled.

"It was a bit obvious to them anyway." Kor stuck his tongue at her. In response the lynx pinched his tongue, causing him to flail slightly.

"Watch it engy." She smirked.

"Bah...can bou flet go pweese?" She released his tongue and pecked his cheek, causing Kor to blush exasperatedly.

Once they reached the city's arena, they found it to be packed. Two Tarnaulas were also present incase any threats popped up. The Forget Me Knots had yet to appear on stage, but they would start soon. As they scoped out the crowd, they found Sonic and Sally and began to chat animatedly with them. However, unknown to anyone, two villains were hiding out on one of the upper sections. Both Naugus and Geoffrey literally appeared from the shadows, the evil wizard having a grin on his face while Geoffrey is trying to catch his breath.

"The purpose of shadow-melding is to be stealthy, which we can't do with you hacking and wheezing like that..." Naugus said irritably at his apprentice.

"Ok first...it's the worst...sensation there is...and second..." The skunk regained his composure. "You've haven't taught me much on the magic side of things, and while my magic may be lacking, you'll need my advice and experience if you ever hope to take over the kingdom. And that is exactly why I said this wouldn't be a good idea. We could get spotted and there goes our element of surprise..." Geoffrey explained, eyeing the two robots below who appeared to be talking to each other.

The wizard glared at him. "Are you lecturing me dear boy?!"

The agent raised his hands in defense. "N-no. I never intended to do such a thing."

"You're plans may be good my apprentice, but it needs something...more..." Naugus said as he scanned the crowd, an evil grin forming on his face.

"And what would that be if I may ask."

"_Fear_ Geoffrey, the poison of _fear_!"

Minutes later, the crowd roars with praise as the Forget Me Knots take to the stage. "Good evening New Mobotropolis! How is everyone tonight?!" Mina asked. She was met with unending cheers. "I would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight, and for those who could not make it, lets hope they'll be able to hear our tunes in some form. This is a song on something that's been on my mind for quite awhile, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it!" The songstress finished.

As the band began their performance, most of the crowd noticed it was a bit different from Mina's usual tunes. "Guess Mina took a big change in tempo." Sally said.

"Whatever it is, I'm diggin' it!" Sonic boasted.

"I lie awake, in my bed, just can't sleep, full of dread, will the nightmares come for me this time? In the day, in the night, never knowing, full of fright, why won't anyone listen? I can't always be jumping at shadows! I can't always be running away! I won't be afraid! I'll save myself! I won't be afraid! I'll save myself! She's everywhere, everything, but heroes aren't istening, we're all left prone, unprotected!" Mina sang.

It was at that point Nicole had realized the song was about her, or more accurately, how she was being controlled by the Iron Queen. The harsh memories that had been locked away for the time being resurfaced like an active volcano. The other heroes noticed after Nicole had stopped dancing, and after listening to the lyrics, they were horrified. Even Espio, who was nearby, took notice.

"It's painfully obvious they won't act, it's up to us, we won't live in fear of the city! We can't always be jumping at shadows! We can't always be running away! We won't be afraid! We'll save ourselves! We won't be afraid! We'll save ourselves!" The band continued, with the crowd joining in the chorus.

"Ok, whatever enjoyment I had for this song is _completely_ gone now..." Kor growled. He cast a glance over to Nicole, who was utterly distressed and upset. "You alright Nicole?..."

"I'm sorry...I...I just can't be here right now..." The lynx then took off as tears began to stream down her face. She kept running until the nanites making her holgram disappated. Kor stared at where she disappeared, clenching his fists as he began to visibly shake with rage.

Sally calmly put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Kor...we'll talk with them backstage..."

"...I hope so...otherwise I think I'm gonna do somethin' I _might_ regret..." Kor said, looking at the ground. The 3 left the coliseum and headed for the band's trailer.

Once the band finished, Mina made an announcement. "The Freedom Fighters spend almost every day protecting us from dangers from the outside. They need us to handle things here at home. And our government is elected by the people! They HAVE to listen to us! We won't be afraid! We will save ourselves! And we demand change, NOW!" The crowd roared with approval. The two Tarantulas standing guard seemed confused, not liking the sound of things.

High above, Geoffrey couldn't help but grimace. "I knew there was some concern about Nicole and the nanites, but I didn't think it was THIS bad..."

"It was...and wasn't." Naugus grinned.

"Wait, what did you do?" The skunk asked.

"Simple Geoffrey. A _minor_ enhancement of the people's emotions to really get the message out, and just as in the days of the Great War, they'll do more than call for reform...they'll be baying for blood! And once their terror has festered and grown, they'll be begging _me_ to save them." The Ixis wizard chuckled darkly. Geoffrey looked unamused however.

After the show, the band made their way through a wave of eager fans back to their trailer. " Nice job everyone. It looks like your idea paid off really well Mina." Ash said to his girlfriend.

"Thanks. I wasn't sure if everyone would like it, but at least now we know." Mina replied. As they got to the trailer, Ash and Mina noticed the other band members had stopped short of it. "Something wrong guys?"

"Um...you guys go on ahead. You know them better than we do." Max said in a nervous tone.

Ash and Mina looked confused before opening the door. They were surprised to find Sonic, Sally, and Kor sitting on the couch with various expressions on their faces. All of them had a disapproving look.

"How did you guys get in here?" The manager asked.

"Oh, we just found our way in." Sonic casually replied.

"Yeah well if you want an autograph, you can wait outside like everyone else." Ash told them.

"That's not why we're here Ash...we're here to tell you that Mina's music doesnt need any dark and gloomy 'I'm so sad and misunderstood' baggage!" The blue blur explained.

"First off hedgehog-!" Ash began but Mina cut him off.

"The new change was my idea Sonic." She said softly. "I felt it was a message that needed to be heard, especially for you guys."

"While we can understand that Mina, you need to be more careful about how you convey your messages. With someone as popular as you, you need to more responsible in-" Sally said before Mina interrupted.

"Responsibility?! What about you and the Freedom Fighters? Bunnie, Khan, Kor AND Nicole all got turned on you! And Nicole runs the city-IS the city! How is that 'responsible'?! We were running for our lives! Anywhere we hid could be turned into a prison by Nicole! While you talked politics over _there_, the rest of us were constantly facing a threat worse than death! Also there was a giant, flying, insect-thing rounding up people! It even killed a few! So don't you _dare_ talk to me about responsibility!" The songstress retorted.

"If we stayed behind we likely would've been captured! How much help do you think that would've been?!" Sonic fired back.

"There's one thing you didn't know Mina, and it's that Nicole had been returned to her former self just hours after we left. The only reason she kept up the ruse was so she could protect as many people as she could. If the Queen found out, there's no telling what she would've done! She even saw the horrors the Dominion placed on the city and she still regrets it..." Sally pointed out.

"...And speaking of which, we weren't just 'talking politics' over there Mina...it was a necessary step in order to ensure the Iron Dominion didn't have any cards to fall back on once we came back! We risked our lives doing that just that! Yeah sure, myself, Ken, Bunnie and Nicole were put under her influence, only for a _short_ duration!" Kor put emphasis on that word 'short'. "There's never a day it doesn't cross my mind on what I could've done differently that day. I keep thinking to myself 'If I fired at will, none of this would've happened.' Granted, me and Nicole underestimated the Queen which led to what happened, and it will be a mistake we'll make sure never happens again. Well ALL make mistakes, it's a fact of life. Only difference is if you're willing to learn from it!" The fox stated angrily.

"Now...you've made yours in blaming Nicole for what she had to do in order to protect YOU. If anything, you should be blaming the Iron Queen! Are you willing to learn from that? Or will you continue to be indignant on your decision? Also, keep in mind if it wasn't for Nicole, we wouldn't have saved everyone from Eggman months prior, we wouldn't even have a damn place to call home! As for Hornet, I still send apologies to people who had their friends or family killed by it, a mistake I rectified in my newest creations." The engineer got up to leave. "So don't say we can't talk to you about responsibility when you're making short-sighted accusations and being inconsiderate! And two things of advice: Apoligize to Nicole, and go see a damn therapist if you're having nightmares..." Kor finished, slamming the door on his way out.

Everyone else stood uneasy after Kor left. "...In all honesty, I thought he'd have a larger fit than that seeing how close he is to Nicole...but Kor did strike a point Mina. We'll let you think on that." Sally said before she and Sonic exited.

Ash and Mina looked at each other in uncertainty, with Mina beginning to feel pangs of guilt in her stomach. As Sonic and Sally make their way through the crowd of fans, they hear conversations about Nicole, all of which are rather insulting. They range from someone asking the computer to quit spying on them to wondering if stomping on the scenery would be a way to inflict pain to her. Some even made some snide remarks at the Tarantulas standing guard, but the growls emitted from the bots immediately silenced them.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish Eggman would come back. I would like to see how quickly these people go from bashing Nicole to begging her to protect them..." Sonic muttered.

"You shouldn't wish for such things Sonic. Eggman is way harsher compared to what's going on now...where do you think Kor went? Hadn't seen him since we left." Sally said.

"If I had to guess, he's probably looking for his girlfriend too." Sonic shrugged.

**-Below New Mobotropolis: Inside a server room-**

Nicole was sitting against the wall, curled up with her head against her knees. She changed her appearance back to its original form, and she had been sobbing for the past 20 minutes. She couldn't believe that the Forget Me Knots would make a song about her terrorizing everyone while she was under the Iron Queen's control. It wasn't like she was doing it willingly, and even when she was brought back to her senses she had to keep up the rouse for the sake of everyone else. Being that she was part of the city, she could still hear the conversations of people talking about her, most of which were in a negative light, and this did nothing but worsen her mood. However, she wasn't the only one in the room.

Some steps away was Dimitri. He had been brought down here in mere moments after Sonic and Tails found him in a box back at the Eggdome. Apparently he had been ousted from the Dark Legion by his own great-great-granddaughter. They managed to hook him into the city to save his life, and since then he had shown nothing but gratitude. He looked at Nicole in concern. "Are you alright?"

Nicole jumped alittle upon hearing his voice. "O-Oh, I'm sorry...I-I forgot you were installed in this room...sorry for bothering you..." She said as she began to dissapate.

"If you were a bother, I wouldn't have let you weep all this time." Dimitri said before she could completely vanish.

"...I had not realized I had been down here for that long..."

"It's quite alright. I just thought you may want some time alone before I offer any help. Espio is likely doing the same thing." The cyborg stated, gaining a confused looked from Nicole.

Espio, who was cloaked and on the ceiling, suddenly drops down. "You seem to know alot for someone whose been stated as 'missing'."

Dimitri just scoffed. "I'm hooked into the city's systems. I was able to observe not only Mina's performance, but you entering this room."

Espio turned to Nicole. "Why is he here?" He asked ina somewhat cold tone.

"S-Sonic and Tails found and rescued him from the Eggdome. It seemed he had been left to die so Sally had them install him down here since he was running low on power." Nicole said nervously.

"To which I am still greatful, and Espio-" Dimitri was cut off as Espio held a kunai inches from his face.

"What could you possibly possibly have to say to me, traitor?..."

"I was going to ask if threatening me and yelling at Nicole was the only reason you came down here. Also, given your past, you aren't in a position to label someone as a traitor." The cyborg smirked.

Espio pauses for a moment before putting the weapon away. "My apologies..." He turns to Nicole. "I saw you leaving the coliseum and wanted to know if you were alright."

The A.I. was surprised by this notion. "W-Why?"

"I felt I owed you a favor after you helped me some time ago. Not only that, but both of us had been used by the Iron Dominion...I know how it feels to lose the trust of others..." The chameleon explained, remembering how he offered to give the rest of the Chaotix any secretive information he had on them in order to regain their trust.

Nicole could only nod in agreement. "But I meant how did you know I would be in here and not in the system."

"He knew because Espio knows you're more than just an A.I. program Nicole. A program wouldn't run in fear or cry in despair as you did. He simply knew where his friend, as a mobian, would go." Dimitri explained.

There was no arguing with Dimitri because he was spot on. Nicole herself knew she had become more than just a program the second she began to develop and understand emotions. Her friends helped her mature at a much quicker rate than she would have if she was alone. To this day she was still ever thankful for that.

Espio cast a wary eye at Dimitri. "Does Knuckles know about this?" He asked the lynx.

"Very few know that Dimitri is among us, and he's preparing to face Knuckles." She replied.

"Thank you for your kind words Nicole. However, I'm still afraid of facing him, given our history...and speaking of which, how come you came down here?" He asked the A.I.

Nicole sighed. "...I built this city for the people, and to live among them...instead, they think I will trap them with it, or worse...this is the same conversation I had with Kor now that I recall it, but in my panic I had forgotten his advice..." She looks at Dimitri. "How did you deal with your loss of control over power in the past."

"Do you think she means the time you were Enerjak or your time as Grandmaster?" Espio asked the cyborg.

"In either scenario, I was trying to exert my will over reality, to force things to suit me rather than deal with them as they were. And now look at me...never to be with my family again. My people led astray by my own son, my legacy a twisted, wretched thing serving the Eggman Empire...you two have something I ignored. You have the love and support of others. Friends who will seek you to help you...others can tell you that you need to be brave and stand up for yourself Nicole, but telling someone else to be brave doesn't mean one has courage themselves...while I may never be ready, I need you two to arrange a meeting between myself and Knuckles." Dimitri finished.

"One cannot be denied a second chance. I have myself from everyone, and I'm sure you can as well Dimitri. You too Nicole." Espio replied. "I'll talk with Knuckles, but I need you to come with me to help clarify some things." He told Nicole.

"I'll be there, but first, I need to check on a certain someone." She stated.

**-On the surface-**

Nicole materialized in the street. Luckily, no one was around so she didn't have to worry about running into someone unplesant. She made her way to Kor's house but after some scanning she didn't not detect any living beings inside. After some thought, she realized where he might be and headed for the airport. Upon nearing his hanger, she heard the familiar sound of a guitar being strummed, which gave her confirmation he was present. Disappearing, she rematerialized right next to him.

"...Are you alright Kor?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The engineer became startled for a second before looking at her. "I should be asking you that...I checked everywhere for you, even the system, but couldn't find anything. I will say that when you become very distressed, you sure are very hard to find...after that I became too stressed out and had to find some way to calm down..." Kor said, looking at the floor.

"I'm sorry for making you worry so much Kor...in the midst of the moment I just needed to be alone...however I unknowingly appeared in Dimitri's server room and Espio managed to track me." She told him.

"You were in a server room?...Man I feel stupid right now..." The fox sighed.

"You don't really think too well when stressed remember?" The A.I. reminded him.

"Yes, but what kind of boyfriend am I if I'm unable to find my girlfriend when she's upset?..."

"Kor, that doesn't make you a terrible significant other. Sure, you were unable to find me, but knowing that you were extremely worried let's me know how much you care." She gave a small smile. "So what did you do after I left?..."

"Welp...myself, Sonic, and Sally talked with Mina about her music, got into a small debate about it but I believe we drove our point home. We told her that you were present at the concert which visibly shocked her. We could see it on her face. Hopefully she'll realize what she did and apoligize..."

Nicole couldn't argue with that. While she had no qualms with Mina, what she did had hurt her emotionally. She knew her actions as Iron Nicole were nightmarish, but she didn't expect it to reach a scale like this. Given how the crowd reacting, they couldn't expect the whole issue concerning Nicole to die down soon.

"So what happened on your end?" Kor asked.

"I explained to Dimitri why I had been down there. He was very kind about it and Espio showed up. He was shocked to find the ancient echidna down there but he relented. In short, Dimitri told me I needed to stand up for myself, which is similar to what you had told me. I really need to begin to follow both of pieces of advice... oh, I'm also going to help Espio arrange a meeting for him and Knuckles." She explained.

"Boy howdy, Knuckles is gonna be pissed, and I hope this won't bring ya down Nikki. Although I doubt anyone will shut up about it now..." Kor mused.

"I believe so as well..."

"...To put this on a lighter note, how about sing a song for ya? Without all the crappy 'doom and gloom' as Sonic pointed out." He smiled.

"I believe I would enjoy that, especially from who it's coming from." Nicole giggled.

**A/N: Annnd that's enough. Well folks you've seen it first-hand: Naugus has planted the seeds that could allow him to take control of the kingdom and issues surrounding Nicole continue to increase. Now you may be thinking, what about Eggman? Well, we'll see what the good doctor's been up to next time.**


	31. Magic and Tech Don't Mix

**A/N: Welcome fellow viewers to Chapter 31. For the last chapter I was considering putting in a love song Kor could sing for Nicole, but because I rarely listen to such songs (I'm more of a rock/heavy metal person) and because I wanted to get that chapter pushed out I decided not to. Anyway, as you saw before, the seeds of unrest were planted from Mina's concert. Let's see how this will turn out for all involved.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

As the fifth day of the week started, it was a bright, warm sunny day. A Tarantula was sitting on a not-too-busy street of New Mobotropolis, its face unreadable. Like the Hornet, Tarantulas were also capable of expressing various emotions, but due to their design it was hard to tell what they were thinking unless they were 'talking'. However, they all had one thing in common: sheer boredum. Like their predecessor, despite all their potential, there had been little activity going on for them to be of much use aside from their constant patrols. Their creator told them it was due to the lack of movement from their enemies, though they were told to keep an eye out for suspect Geoffrey St. John. And, since that concert 2 days ago, they had to deal with jerkish citizens making snide comments at them.

The 4-legged robot sighed as it looked at the sky. Unlocking its mouth, it let out a yawn, revealing two rows of large, sharp, banana-shaped metal teeth. "Another slow day..." It groaned in its own language.

However, it soon picked up the sounds of a small crowd. Giving a quick ping from its radar, it saw it was the only unit close enough to investigate. Lifting its body slightly, the robot walked towards the scene, the ground vibrating noticeably due to its weight. As it approached the Civic Center, it saw the crowd had gathered to what appeared to be another Forget Me Knots concert, albeit much smaller. It also identified a few of the Freedom Fighters within the crowd.

"Scoping out a free concert all day. You sure know how to plan a second date Sal." Sonic joked.

"Oh hush." She smirked. "We're here just to make sure things don't get out of hand like they did on Tuesday..."

"Still hard to believe everyone would be so jumpy about Nicole now. It's not like the same thing will happen again, right?" Amy pointed out.

"It won't, and as long as I'm here I'll be making sure of that." Sonic boasted.

The Forget Me Knots were going to have a small informal show. Mina had thought long and hard about how people had viewed the message she delivered, what a few of the heroes told her, and after witnessing people arguing about whether or not Nicole was a menace, particularly during a date she and Ash had last night, she concluded that she would have to clarify what she meant. She didn't want to cause any more unrest for the already nervous population. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the mic.

"Good morning people of New Mobotropolis. We would like to thank everyone for coming to our surprised showing and for their show of support. What we hope to do is lighten the mood for everyone today. So try to enjoy yourselves as much as possible ok?" The mongoose finished with a smile.

" 'Lighten the mood' huh? How can this day get any better when we our still at risk of being taken over by a computer?" A voice rang out.

Everyone looked around for the owner, only to find a cloaked figure briskly walking through the crowd.

"Um, excuse me but who are you?" Mina asked.

The figure smirked and threw off his cloak (which lands on Mina), revealing the ever-wanted Geoffrey St. John. The Freedom Fighters present were shocked and the Tarantula standing a few meters away growled. "The Forget Me Knots were right about one thing: we need to act against Nicole while we have the chance!" Geoffrey proclaimed.

Mina irritably throws the discarded cloak off her face. "Now hold on a second Mr. John, that isn't exactly what I-" She started.

"Don't worry about it Ms. Songoose. Besides, you've already done your part." Geoffrey said smugly, leaving Mina and the rest of the band confused.

"You won't be doing anything Geoffrey. You're wanted on the account of treason, so if I were you I'd surrender unless you want to add resisting arrest to those charges." Sally told him.

"I'm fairly justified in my actions princess. All that I've done has been in service to the _true _king of this city." The ex-agent retorted.

"What are you going on about Stinky?" Sonic asked.

As Amy takes her hammer out, she notices a black mist weaving through the crowd. It catches everyone attention as it makes its way onto the stage. The smoke manifests itself into none other than Ixis Naugus, surprising the hell out of everyone else. The Forget Me Knots scatter and the crowd begins to panic. The Tarantula scans the wizard before alarm bells start ringing in its systems. It immediately signals two more Tarantulas to rush to its location as well as contacting its master.

"Now now my fellow subjects, calm yourselves. I am here to offer you, a chance for salvation! I am well aware that many of you live in _fear_ of the digital menace, and I will be your savior, should my fair city be turned on us once again!" Naugus proclaimed.

"The only person I'll turn the city against is you, Ixis Naugus." Nicole stated as she materialized in front of the wizard. Using the nanites, she forms a large clamp-trap around him, holding him in place. "If you don't resist any further this will be as swift as possible."

However, the Ixis wizard isn't fazed in the slightest. "You hold no sway over me!" His chaos emerald wand glows, causing the nanite trap to turn into some kind of magic crystal before it shatters. "Your artifical methods are heavily dwarfed by my magic!" He tells a shocked Nicole before turning to the crowd. "As you can see my people, you will no longer have to live in fear! And as of now, I will speak with the Council of Acorn so we may procure peace!" The wizard then whispers to Geoffrey. "Keep those nuisances off my back." He said before turning himself into mist and flies to the castle.

"He better stick to the plan..." Geoffrey muttered to himself as he faces the Freedom Fighters.

Sally orders Sonic to intercept Naugus while the rest deal with the traitor. The hedgehog quickly catches up to Naugus and attempts to nail him with a homing attack, only for the his attack to pass right through the wizard. Sonic muses that Naugus can control the elements, but he believes he could reach the wizard faster than he could transform. The True Blue's second attempt is blocked as Naugus casts a pillar of flame. This continues all the way to the castle, with Naugus using whatever convienience as necessary to slow the hedgehog down.

Once he reaches the castle, Naugus sees two Tarantulas standing guard by the main entrance. Upon seeing him, the robots change into their firing positions before shooting a barrage of lasers at the Ixis wizard. Due to his close proximity, Sonic is forced to dodge as well. Naugus easily evades the fire by turning into smoke and slips past the robots, much to their bewilderment. He then casts a crystal wall at the entrance. "That should keep those pests out." He chuckled as stormed into the building.

Back with the others, Sally has the Royal Guard attempt to arrest Geoffrey, but the skunk pulls rank to make them stand down. The two proceed to bicker over whether or not the ex-agent should be arrested, with Geoffrey proclaiming he's acting on "king's orders" to which Sally retorts Elias gave no such command. The skunk smugly fires back that he wasn't talking about the current king.

Frustrated, Sally then orders the Freedom Fighters to attack. They all launch attacks at the skunk but he manages to either evade or outsmart them. Nicole manages to trap him in a nanite bubble for a short period before, to everyone's shock, he shadow-melds out of it. After remarking on how much he hates the technique, the Freedom Fighters attack once more but he continues to dodge their attacks.

While this was going on, the Tarantula had been sitting there, watching, studying. He already advised the other 2 units to move to the castle incase they'd be needed. The first two have an ETA of 60 seconds. The bot notes that while Geoffrey may be unpredictable, it believes he is unaware of what it is capable of. Hearing footsteps behind it, it turns its head slightly and sees Kor stopping short of it, just out of breath. "Huh...huh...what is it pardner?" The fox asked.

The robot simply groans and looks at the fight. Kor looks as well. "So that two-timer finally decided to show himself." Looking around, the engineer takes note as two other Tarantulas close in from different directions. "Wait til I give the signal Terry. I'm gonna help give this traitor what for." He smirked.

Geoffrey avoids another swing from Amy's hammer before grabbing her by the arms and tosses her into the air. Luckily Tails catches her before she decends. "I've always been in service to the king, all of you clearly hadn't thought of which king I was serving. With old Mobotropolis gone and a new government system, I had to do something before the _rightful_ king lost everything."

Sally does a swing kick at the skunk, who easily dodges it. "You aren't making any sense!"

"I don't want to." He smugly replied as he kicked her away. He hears a shot being fired before jumping away as a laser blast hits where his foot was a second ago.

"To clarify, it sounds like Ol' Stinky here doesn't want to accept change." Kor said as he walked to the scene, his cybernetic hand in gun form.

"What took you so long?" Tails asked.

"Busy with other stuff. So Geoff, if you really worked for Naugus this _whole_ time, why did you wait til now to act?" Th_e _engineer asked.

"And what would your wife have to say about this?!" Sally exclaimed.

Geoffrey stared at the ground as he sighed. "She...doesn't care about much anymore...Hershey's dead...has been for a while..."

This comes as a shock to most of the Freedom Fighters. Like Geoffrey, Hershey Cat was also a secret agent. They had known her for quite awhile, but they casually remarked that they hadn't seen her in quite a long time. At first, no one thought much of it as she was on some mission. But now, it made sense. Question is, how did she die? One could only assume...

"Either way, Naugus has the right to the crown. And with him as king, all of us will finally be safe!" He proclaimed.

"Or holes in the ground..." Kor muttered.

"Even if you see yourself as a revolutionist, you're still a murderer!" Sally retorted, launching another kick at him.

Geoffrey was many things, but being a murderer was something he would never agree with. He simply jumps to the side. " A 'murderer?' What makes you say that?" He growled as he now avoided attacks from Bunnie and Antoine.

"You said it yourself Geoffrey: Hershey's dead. I don't believe there's any other reason for this aside from you having something to do with it." Sally explained.

Geoffrey looks at the princess with an incredulous look right before Bunnie pins him down with her cybernetic arm. "Gotchya varmit!"

"You all can think of me however you please, but I will not let you besmirch my wife's death!" The skunk retorted before shadow-melding out of Bunnie's grip.

By this time, the other two Tarantulas arrive from different paths. Looking at the battle, they lock their sights on Geoffrey before all 3 rest on their hind legs with their forward ones pointed at the skunk. Kor attempts to stun Geoffrey with his laser but the darn spy keeps shadow melding to avoid his fire. The skunk manages to get close enough to put the engineer in an armlock. The engineer responds by headbutting the skunk with the back of his head, who then kicks him away.

"You are really becoming an annoying one Kor..."

"Really? Hadn't noticed and I suggest you surrender." The fox grunted.

"Or what? _None_ of you can land a hit on me!" Geoffrey laughed.

"Keep laughin' spah. Maybe we can't, but they can." Kor gestured to what was around them.

Geoffrey then notices the 6 laser guns pointed at him from multiple directions. "Dammit, those Freedom Fighters kept me busy so they could set this up..." He muttered.

"Give up now?" Kor said smugly, aiming at him as well.

"Hardly." The skunk chuckled. "Let's see what these tin cans got."

In response, the Tarantulas growled and set their lasers to its highest setting. As they prepared to fire, Sally was slightly conflicted. While she would like to see Geoffrey get torn to pieces, she didn't want this fight to turn bloody. She had to act fast or lasers would fly all over.

"Kor, hold on a sec." She ordered. "Geoffrey, you still believe yourself to be in the right and are completely justified in your actions, right?"

"Obviously."

"Then instead of fighting us, you should be letting justice take its course." The chipmunk pointed out.

Geoffrey pauses for a moment before giving an amused look. "Alright Princess, I'll play along, _for now_." He said while giving a mock surrender.

Kor sighed before changing his hand back. "None of you take an eye off him." He ordered his robots as he rubbed his head. Maybe that headbutt wasn't a good idea.

As he looked at the others, Kor noticed Nicole slumped next to the crystalized nanites. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost. "Whatcha lookin' at sweetie?..."

"Normally, if any part of the city is damaged, I can 'feel' the nanaites...using them to repair anything as needed. But these...Naugus's magic had changed and destroyed them...there's nothing more I can do with them..." Nicole explained.

"Wait, Naugus is that insane wizard right? Well that's just great..." Kor groaned.

Some of the citizens had heard the conversation and whispered among themselves, questioning if Naugus really could save them and if Geoffrey was right. This doesn't go unnoticed by Kor and Sally, who both frown at the audience. "I think it'd be a good idea to make yerself scarce for a bit Nikki...least til things settle, if they ever will..." Kor muttered the last part.

The A.I. nods before dissipating. Kor then looks at Sally. "Remind me why I couldn't just blast him to pieces?..."

"Not only there was a chance it wouldn't work, I didn't want this becoming worse than it needed to be..." Sally explained.

"I thought we could use 'worse' given there's a crazed wizard and his trainee in the city." The fox replied.

"I'm right here you know." Goeffrey pointed out.

"No one asked you!" They both shouted.

**-At the Castle-**

"As you can see Councilors, Maximillian became my knight while both of us were trapped in the ever irritable Zone of Silence. There, he swore his loyalty to me, and therefore this very kingdom we're in belongs to me." Naugus explained with a grin.

"I cannot hand the crown over to you Ixis Naugus! This crown was passed down to me from my father when he became too sick to rule!" Elias protested.

"There is no way the council is submitting to your rule Naugus!" Rotor shouted.

"Now now don't worry. My apprentice has informed me of the changes and I promise not to disassemble the council, nor do I have a grudge with Acorn bloodline." Naugus calmly replied.

Suddenly, Sonic attacks Naugus out of nowhere and floors the wizard. "What?! How did you get in Sonic?!" Naugus yelled angrily.

"You forgot to close the windows Nauggy." Sonic replied. "Speaking of which, found out Geoffrey was in cahoots with Naugus your majesty. He's still with the others right now."

"That would explain a lot..." Elias muttered.

"Quips and fists will not be enough to overcome my magic you meddlesome hedgehog! You will not stand in the way of justice!" Naugus growled, his staff glowing with power.

"Mind if I get a magical edge Elias?" Sonic asked.

The king responds with throwing the Sword of Light to the hedgehog.

Naugus became confused. "Impossible! The Sword of Acorns was destroyed! I saw it myself!"

"Yeah, but this is the Sword of_ Light_, which was made to counter dark magic, and in this case, you." The blue blur smirked.

Both he and Naugus rush at each other before clashing with their weapons.

**-The Eggdome-**

While things were taking shape at New Mobotropolis, the Eggdome was far from quiet. Dark Egg Legionnaires were quickly rushing about, making sure systems would be ready and checking for any maintenance issues. It seems Dr. Eggman's project was almost complete. The only thing he required now, was a chaos emerald. At the moment, said doctor and Snively were getting their egg mobiles ready to make a trip to the Special Zone.

"Remember Snively: we only have _one_ chance to succeed, and I don't want you screwing this up! I'm using every watt of power just opening this portal!" Eggman explained.

"Yes uncle...and I'll be leaving you trapped in there..." The short man muttered to himself.

As soon as they enter the weird zone, they are immediately met by Feist. Snively panics while the rotund doctor flashes his trademark smile. "Ah, two mortal have entered my domain. I anticipate you are here for a chaos emerald?"

"That is correct sir! And given by your nature, I assume you want use to compete for it!" Eggman grinned.

"You catch on quick." Feist said before creating a lengthy path filled with corkscrews and pits. At the end was the blue chaos emerald.

Snively inspects the path before gaining some confidence. "Well this should be easy, especially since I'll be leaving _you_ in the dust!" He boasted.

Eggman chuckled. "A little fun before world domination wouldn't hurt, and it's you who'll be left behind you runt."

Feist chuckles at the rivalry. "Your attitude amuses me. You shall begin in 3...2...1!"

Both villains race towards the emerald. Snively manages to take the lead in a few seconds. "Watch your back Snively. We are after the same thing." Eggman told him.

"All your weight must be slowing you down." Snively taunted.

Eggman looked irritated before grinning evilly. Just as the short man was about to reach the emerald, an explosion suddenly rocked his egg mobile, heavily damaging it and rendering it useless. Just then, the mad doctor zooms by and grabs the emerald. One would notice a missile rack on the underside of his vehicle with one of the missiles gone. Doesn't take a genius to know what happened.

"Hah hah! The emerald is mine! Bet you wish you hadn't made that fat joke eh Snively?" Eggman boasted. Suddenly, the emerald was teleported from his hands. "What?!"

"While your attempt to win was very amusing, you must now choose mortal: the human, or the emerald." Feist stated.

Eggman just looked at the demi-god like he had grown a second head. "Is there really a contest to this? The emerald of course!"

"WHAT?!" Snively exclaimed.

The emerald is teleported back to Eggman as a portal opens. "Hmm, Sonic-Blue. Seems fitting for what I'm about to do to those fools in New Mobotropolis!" He grinned.

"Uncle Julian! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!" Snively exclaimed as he tried to get his egg mobile working. His cries fell on deaf ears as the portal closed. The short man was then held in the grasp of the much larger deity. Snively trembled before him.

"Now, what should I do with you..." Feist grinned. Then, to his shock and anger, Snively was teleported out of his grasp. The overlander finds himself back in the Eggdome.

"No one gets to deny me anything." Eggman stated. "Get up Snively! My plan is about to commence." He said as he walked past him.

Snively sits dazed and shocked in his wrecked egg mobile before shakily getting up and walking to the upper levels of the base. Deeper within, Eggman approaches what looks to be a generator and carefully places the emerald inside of it. Within seconds, the machine hums to life. "Readings Snively."

"They're impressive sir! The core is already charged by five percent! All systems are coming online and almost at full power. Hold on...Operation Clean Sweep is now at 10 percent." His whiny voice was heard over the intercom.

Eggman had a wide grin on his face. "Excellent! I'm on my way up to the command center! Begin the countdown!"

"B-But sir, shouldn't we wait til everything is-"

"We are done waiting Snively! It's time to remake the world in _my _image!" The doctor cut him off before laughing evilly. On the main screen monitor of the command center, a timer began to tick down to zero...

**-Back at the Castle-**

Sonic and Naugus continue to lock blades. The wizard had changed his staff into a crystal sword and continues to throw spells at Sonic whilst the hedgehog either avoids or cuts through them like a hot knife through butter. "The last king swore fealty to me! He became my knight! The kingdom is **mine**!"

"Is not." Sonic retorted.

"It is so!"

"Is not." The hedgehog smirked.

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is - RARGH! Curse you!" Naugus said, casting a wave of fire at Sonic. However, the hedgehog just cuts through the attack with his sword.

"Either way, you're a villain and everyone knows that." Sonic retorted. "At least I hope everyone does..."

"It is not your place to judge quickster!" The wizard fired back as he summoned a rock spire under Sonic. The hedgehog is thrown back and loses his grip on the sword, but surprisingly, Elias makes a grab for it and attacks Naugus.

"I refuse to hand over my father's crown so easily!" He yelled.

He strikes at Naugus, shattering the old wizard's sword and forces him on the defensive. Naugus casts a volley of spells at Elias, who is able to fend them off. But then, Naugus casts a powerful win that floors Elias. The king finds himself vulnerable to attack, but instead, Naugus offers a hand to him.

"There is no need to fight young king. Your family and myself have fought for a whole generation, but it is time to put our differences aside. If you hand me the crown, you may return to your simpler life." Naugus said.

While Elias had been forced to take the crown in his father's sted, he secretly always opted to live like a regular person. As he explained to Sonic once, he was a little jealous of the freedom his sister had. To be able to go on missions, see the world, it was more enticing than staying in a castle all day. Sonic was a little dazed but storms back to the fray. He takes notice of the council members arguing amongst themselves over the best course of action, though unknowingly Naugus is once again using his magic to amplify their emotions. Elias notices as well and pauses to think.

"Well Elias, what shall it be?" Naugus asked with a grin.

Before the king could answer, the ground violently shook as if an earthquake was happening. Anyone who was standing is quickly thrown to the floor.

"Ugh! Things are already bad enough without you making magical quakes Naugus!" Sonic yelled.

"This is not my doing...rather...something far away has shaken with great force..." Naugus said in thought.

"Maybe Eggman finally emerged from hiding..." Elias said, hoping that wasn't the case.

"You may be right...alright Nauggy, we'll put this fight on hold for now. Open the front door." Sonic ordered before he and Naugus sped to the entrance.

"I do not take orders, especially from a troublesome hedgehog like yourself." Naugus replied, yet made the crystalline wall disappear. They both noticed a large shadow beginning to loom over the city. Upon looking at the sky, they couldn't believe their eyes...

Back at the Civic Center, everyone there experienced the same thing as those at the castle. The Tarantulas had to sit on all fours to avoid falling over.

"What...was that?" Tails asked.

"An earthquake?" Bunnie asked.

"Odd...the city isn't near any major fault lines..." Kor stated as he began to stand.

"Um...I am thinking that was not an earthquake..." Antoine said, looking at the sky.

"What makes you say-ooooh myyy..." Sally said as she looked up.

"Holy crap...what in tarnation is that?..." Kor asked with fear in his voice.

By now, everyone was looking at a large object that was beginning to cast a shadow over the city. The object in question was a large, black, egg-shaped flying structure with what looked like Eggman's face built on the front. The Death Egg Mark II had launched...

**A/N: And cut! Welp, you've seen it all people. All that time Eggman spent in hiding was to build his flying superfortress: The Death Egg. Yes it was actually ripped off from Star Wars, but you can blame the creators for that one. Anyway, what are the heroes to do to get out of this one? Find out next chapter.**


	32. The Eggpire Strikes Back

**A/N: Welcome to chapter 32 fellow readers. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long, but you know how life is. Anyway, as you've read, after eluding his foes for so long, Eggman finally comes back with his newest death machine, The Death Egg (as if Naugus wasn't bad enough). Take a gander as to how the heroes thwart this one.**

**WARNING: Sacrifices will be made.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

As the shadow of the Death Egg loomed over the city, citizens were thrown into a panic. Some immediately rushed for their homes to hide in their basements or whereever they could try to ride this out while others just ran about like headless chickens. Sonic stared in disbelief at the flying base before literally smacking his forehead. Now it made sense why Eggman had been so quiet, why those refueling depots were built, and why the good doctor had focused on building up the Eggdome before he lost his mind.

"I can't believe the Death Egg was right in front of me the whole time!" The hedgehog berated himself.

Sonic, with Naugus in trail, quickly sped through the city toward the other Freedom Fighters and Geoffrey. Halfway there, they saw a hail of rockets and missiles shooting at the Death Egg. Unfortunately, they were ineffective against the armored fortress.

"Quit scratching the paint of my greatest creation! I just got it air-worthy!" Eggman yelled through a PA system before laughing. "It seems the tables have turned, haven't they New Mobotropolis? If you are willing to cease your futile attempts and negotiate your surrender, I _might_ be willing to let you live!"

"Geoffrey, is that thing a great threat?" Naugus asked the skunk as he transitioned back into his normal form.

"I have no experience with it sir, as I was guarding Max Acorn at the time of its first launch...but given it's Eggman we're talking about, it shouldn't be taken lightly." Geoffrey explained.

"Dammit! Them sentries were made to take on his Egg Fleet, not this...this giant god-knows-what!" Kor yelled in frustration.

"No offense Kor, but the armor of the Death Egg is too strong for any outside attack-" Sally began.

" 'Death Egg?' What is this Star Wars?" Kor asked.

"...As I said, outside attacks won't work. We know that from experience..." The chipmunk said as she recalled the last time that monster was unleashed. "That said, we need to find a way in and destroy it from there." She turned to Naugus. "And I think we can all agree to put aside our differences until Eggman is defeated?"

"While I agree that foolish doctor is a bigger threat, his technology has hardly been a match for my magic!" Naugus boasted. He then conjured his wind magic and began flying up to the Death Egg, laughing like a maniac.

"...Is he suicidal or somethin'?" Kor asked.

"No, he's just very, very creepy..." Sonic cringed.

"He has the right idea though. Everyone! To the airfield!" Sally ordered.

Once the heroes (with Geoffrey in tow) arrived at the airfield, Antoine and Tails prepared both the Tornado and Freedom Fighter Special for launch. The FFS **(A/N: it's not 'for fucks sake' if that's what you're thinking)** was a large, futuristic-looking aircraft used the transport the heroes over long distances. Antoine and Tails maintained it whilst Rotor gave it upgrades over the years. Aside from just being a transport aircraft, it is also capable of space travel and equipped with multiple weapon systems. As the aircraft were being prepped, Nicole had established a communication link between the two aircraft before uploading server into her PDA. Kor grabs his rocket launcher before meeting up with the others. It was decided that Sonic, Sally (with Nicole), Kor, and Tails would take the Tornado whilst everyone else loaded into the FFS. Once ready, the two crafts take off towards the fortress.

Meanwhile, Eggman, Snively, and Lien-Da were monitoring the increasing power for Operation: Clean Sweep. Snively then notices something approaching the Death Egg.

"Sir, we have incoming resistance."

"Not surprised. Does Sonic look worried?" Eggman asked gleefully. However, he surprised to see a certain crazed wizard. "Naugus! Didn't expect to find you here."

"I was merely in the process of claiming the kingdom _I'm_ going to rule, and I won't let an oaf like yourself get in the way!" Naugus hissed.

"Well see about-" Eggman began.

"Sir! The Freedom Fighters are approaching!" Snively told him.

"Bah, no worries. All automated defenses fire! Do not shoot that hedgehog!" Eggman ordered.

"Wait, what? Why can't we shoot-" Snively began before Eggman hushed him.

"You wouldn't have been able to hit that pest anyway. Also, I have a surprise for him once he gets aboard. You may swat the other flies however." Eggman said offhandedly.

At that moment, Naugus attempts to cast his crystalline magic on the Death Egg, only to be shocked when it fails. "WHAT?! IMPOSSIBLE!"

"HAH HAHAHA! My glorious Death Egg has a power ring matrix encasing it. Even your pathetic magic has little use against it!" Eggman boasted of the P.A. system.

As the heroes approached, they were greeted by a hail of lasers, bullets, and missiles. Tails used the Tornado to expertly dodge the deadly barrage, though the constant mauvering was making two of his passengers sick. The FFS was able to avoid as well as tank some shots thanks to its armor.

"Got any way for us to get in?!" Kor asked, ducking as a missile flew feet above his head.

"I'm checking!" Tails yelled, getting a good look at the side of the fortress. He then spotted a half-assed patched hole in the wall. "That looks like the entrance you and Hornet made a month ago!"

"That'll work! Take us in Tails!" Sonic said.

The kit nods and blasts through the crude patch-work. Once close enough, Sally, Sonic and Kor jump off, landing a little harshly inside the doomsday weapon.

"Huh, looks like Eggy managed to clean the place up for us." Sonic smirked.

"Easy Sonic. He obviously has some traps laid out for us..." Sally warned.

"Uh, fellas? We're gonna need to find a new way out..." Kor said. They turned and saw small robots, called Egg-mites, sealing the hole with precision and welding it shut.

"Eh, no worries. Once we crash this place it'll be full of holes." Sonic said before speeding off, the others following.

"Got a history about this place Sal? Never saw anythin' like this before..." Kor said as he looked around, a tight grip on his launcher.

"The first Eggman, which we called Robotnik, had built this place as his final weapon to destroy us all. It took us by surprise at first, but we managed to crash that one, while also erasing the original Robotnik from existance. I should've expected Eggman would try the same thing, but I can't believe none of us saw it coming..." The princess explained.

"Well, that would explain the giant fuel stations we've been hearin' about..." Kor noted.

"Nicole, is there a way to get further access into this base?" Sally asked.

"I've been doing some scans the moment we've entered, and it appears there's an elevator right up ahead." The A.I. stated.

"Well that's convienient." Kor said.

As they approached, Sonic was already there. "Can you believe how many times I forgot there was an elevator in this place?"

"I dunno, maybe all the times you scouted the Eggdome?" Sally playfully mocked.

"Well well well, if it isn't a certain pest, 'fearless' leader', and bumbling engineer! I'm glad you 3 could make it aboard my humble abode, and I thank you for not losing your stubborness since the Iron Dominion you meddlesome hedgehog." Eggman's voice was heard via intercom.

"Where are you Eggman! I got a score to settle with ya!" Sonic yelled.

"Ah-Ah-Ah! You'll have to be patient Sonic! You'll get your chance, after you prove that you still got it!" The doctor laughed as the door opened.

They stepped out cautiously as the door closed behind them, finding themselves in another hallway.

"Eyes out guys. No telling what he has in store for us..." Sally muttered.

About 100 feet from them, another door opens, revealing a large, silver robot built in Sonic's image. Being 14 ft. tall, it was also had armored spines on his head and backside.

"What in the hell?..." Kor said.

"Oh no, not Silver Sonic!" Sally exclaimed.

"Oh yes! Time for some fun!" Sonic cheered.

"Sonic! That thing nearly killed you last time we battled it! And it looks like Eggman gave it some upgrades!" The princess pointed out.

"All the more reason for the incursion." Sonic said, curling into a ball before launching himself at blistering speeds towards the hulking robot.

Silver Sonic swats the attack away, but Sonic rebounds off the wall, crashing into the robot duplicate. The robot angrily goes after Sonic, coping his spindash and rams into him, knocking the hedgehog into the wall. Grunting, Sonic manages to free himself before performing a homing attack into the robot's chest, forcing it to crash into the wall.

"Boy, Eggman really likes to make Sonic dupes don't he? Makes you wonder if he's a fan..." Kor said as he and Sally watched.

" 'Fan' would be an understatement...but this is doing nothing but stalling for time!" Sally realized.

"Oh let him have his fun. Sonic's really putting on quite the show!" Eggman said again via intercom. "But I really should be thanking you Sally. After all, it wouldn't have been possible without you!" The doctor laughed.

"What are you talking about Eggman?!" Sally asked.

"If you had been more ruthless to end me while I was at my weakest, none of this would've happened! It is obvious you inherited such weakness from your father. After all, if he had taken down the original Robotnik all those years ago, you wouldn't be dealing with what you are facing today. Take Kor for example! He killed his old foe when he was hanging by a thread!" Eggman explained, laughing more afterwards.

Sally gritted her teeth. Every time they fought Eggman, he always perceived her was being weak. The main reason she was on the front lines more often was so she could prove how dead wrong she was. Some wished she wasn't due to her brilliant strategies and the fact she's a royal figurehead, but no one could change her mind on the subject.

"Hate to be sidin' with Eggface here Sal, but he does strike a point, and-" Kor was silenced by the glare she gave him.

"Sir! The weapon is fully charged, b-but are you sure this is a good idea? It's going to affect all of us..." Snively's voice was heard in the background.

"Oh grow up Snively. You won't feel a thing." Eggman said.

"Great, we're out of time...Sonic! We need to get moving!" Sally shouted.

"In a sec Sal! I'm not done with Tiny here!" Sonic shouted as he dodged another attack from Silver Sonic.

"Ugh...come on Kor. We need to get to where Eggman is before he can fire whatever weapon he has ready." Sally ordered.

"Right..." Kor nodded.

"Nicole, can you track where Eggman's voice was coming from?" Sally asked.

"Still scanning Sally. Give me a second..." Nicole said.

"Did you think I would forget about you two?" Eggman said as a wall-mounted sentry revealed itself from the wall.

In her shock, Sally froze. Luckily, Kor pushed her out of the way as it fired. Taking a few bullets, Kor fired two rockets at the sentry before it ceased to function.

"Ugh...dammit that still hurts..." Kor groaned

"Kor! Are you alright?!" Both Sally and Nicole asked. The engineer took a bullet to his shoulder, tail, and his right side. Luckily they all passed right through him.

"I'll be fine...ain't the first time I've been shot..." The fox said, slouching in pain.

"But...you're bleeding!" Sally pointed out.

"Ah said I'm fine Sal!" The fox glared at her, but then he looked behind her. "Ugh, Sal? I know I ain't dyin', but you see that white light comin' towards us?"

Sally looked behind them and noticed a wall of light approaching them fast. "What is...ah!" She said as she and Kor were blinded and engulfed by the light.

Sonic was still fighting Silver Sonic when he noticed it as well. He covers his eyes as he is blinded as well. But this wasn't limited to the Death Egg. The sphere of light spread all around Mobius, and even extended into space. Was it truly the end? Had Eggman finally won? No one was sure, but it couldn't have been a good thing.

**-One reality inducing time frame later-**

As the light died down, nothing appeared to have happened, though for some reason everyone had a headache. Sonic ran up to them a second later. "You both ok? I heard-" He looks at Kor. "Woah, you really ate a few there Kor."

"Whatever. Can we go now?"

They suddenly hear metallic footsteps behind them. All three look to see a bruised and sparking Silver Sonic rampaging towards them.

"One trip to Egghead, coming up!" Sonic said as he grabbed the two before jetting down the hall.

Kor fired the last two rockets in his clip at the robot, both of which hit its damaged left arm and blew it to pieces. They stop at another elevator where Nicole begins to hack the platform. While doing so, Kor blinks his eyes to metallic view and notices something odd.

"There's a lot of power going into the floor below us."

"Hmm...can you figure out what it is Nicole?" Sally asked.

"This system is very secured Sally. I'd need more time to hack it."

"Alright. Just allow access for the elevator and we'll check it out." The princess stated.

"...You guys gettin' conflicting memories?" Kor asked.

"Yeah...last I remember being in the Oil Ocean Zone..." Sally said.

"I was here in the Death Egg so..." Sonic said.

"Really? For some odd reason I remember being in the Dragon Kingdom." The fox told them.

Once the A.I. managed to crack it, the elevator opened and the trio made their way down. Upon the doors opening, they found it was the main deck. They also find something else: a large roboticizer and Eggman in his Egg Mobile.

"Eggman!" All three of them shout.

"Congradulations on making it this far, but I'm afraid our little game must come to an end. What you see before you is the World Roboticizer!" Eggman boasted.

"Robot-sizer?" Kor asked.

"No Kor, roboticizer. It forcibly turns anything organic into a mindless robot." Sally explained.

Sonic couldn't help but laugh. "A roboticizer? Come on Egghead, you know the Bem made that process impossible."

"Ok can someone explain what the hell y'all talkin' about?..." Kor asked.

"Gladly." Said the doctor. "Some time ago myself, Snively, that hedgehog and his sidekick were transported to a spaceship where an alien race known as the Bem resided. Being scientists, they decided to test the performance of Robians against purely organic beings. Sonic and Tails were turned into robians while I myself and Snively had been turned to flesh!" He growled at that instant. "Naturally, the hedgehog won, but the Bem decided to try to turn everyone on Mobius into Robians. It was like my dream was going to come true! But then one of them thought against it and turned all robians back to their original selves, AND made everyone immune to roboticization!"

"Really stuck it to your plans huh doc?" Sonic smirked.

"Precisely. Cyberization was only a temporary solution, until I found a way to counter the Bem's effects." Eggman smirked. "As you can may have experienced reoccuring memories, that was indeed my doing. As you can see, I had tried to reset reality to make the world in _my _image, until that hedgehog got in the way again..." The doctor growled. "Anyway, that was only the_ first_ part of my plan! With reality reset, the resistance to roboticization no longer apply!"

Sally paled. "So...you, mean..."

"That's right! Everyone is susceptable to it now. And for added measure, you know what happens when a robot is exposed to the roboticization process. But what happens to a city completely made of technology?" Eggman said, before showing them a simulation.

In it, it was the city of Station Square, the ever famous overlander settlement. When the wave of the roboticizer passed the city, everything began to malfunction and explode. This went on until the entire city was in ruin. The heroes were shocked after seeing this. "And lets not forget your precious New Mobotropolis!"

"It won't just be cities you'll destroy, but you'll wipe out the entire Dark Legion!" Sally told him.

"It doesn't matter to me if they survive or not. But let's not forget three of your friends also have cybernetics, or are fully robotic, so I'm certain they won't survive the process." Eggman chuckled. "Oh well. It's been fun, but once this machine is fired up, it's all over for you!" He gave his trademark laugh.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sonic shouted and launched himself at the doctor. However, just as he was feet from the mad genious, he was tackled by his ever famous doppleganger: Metal Sonic.

"Oh great, you again..." Sonic bemoaned. To make matters worse, the heavily damaged Silver Sonic crashes through the ceiling. "I just can't get a break today!"

"Oh ho ho ho. I thought you liked things the hard way." Eggman teased.

"Don't worry Sonic, I got an answer to yer problems." Kor said as he brought up his rocket launcher and started firing at the larger mech. This distracted it from Sonic, but now he had to avoid getting crushed.

Sally watched the boys battling. As much as she liked being in the thick of the action, she had to admit the others had the capabilities to deal with those threats. Also, she needed to find a way to stop Eggman's roboticizer before it activated. Looking quickly, she found a loose hatch which lead underneath the floor.

"Such a wonderful thing how you pests are giving me entertainment before your demise." Eggman gloated. He then noticed the princess was not around. "Great, another rat is on the loose..." He presses a few buttons on his Egg Mobile, bringing out a small array of weapons. "Now, let's see what rock the princess managed to crawl under."

Unfortunately for him, he didn't get far as Sonic smashed through the doctor's vehicle, having slipped from Metal for the moment. "You won't be doing anything doc. Now just sit tight while Sal find a way to crash this hunk-a-junk!" The hedgehog smirked before launching himself at Metal again. The two performed constant homing attacks at each other, neither side backing down.

Kor fired several rockets, which seemed to be working but the damn robot kept advancing on him. "Maybe I should've let Sonic handle this..." He muttered to himself. He then noticed he had accidentally backed into a corner. Weighing his options, the engineer could try to slip under the robot, but it would be too quick and likely stomp him. However, there was one other option. "Ok, how'd Solly do it?..." Pointing at his feet, Kor jumped and fired a rocket at the ground. The explosion propelled him up into the air, though his feet and legs stung like hell the whole time. "AAAH! THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!" He landed sloppily a few meters away.

Under the floor, Sally could still the battile raging above. Getting into the wiring below the machine, she plugged Nicole in. "Nicole, think you can shut down the roboticizer?"

"It's possible, but I would need hours to patch myself into the network..." The A.I. stated.

"Time we don't have..." Sally muttered. "Well you have to try something! Eggman is on the verge of victory!"

After a minute of silence, Nicole spoke again. "Right now, the only thing I can do is invert the beam to _this exact point_, but-"

"Do it." Sally ordered.

"B-But Sally! You'll-"

"I know what will happen to me Nicole. I wish there was some other way but we have no other choice right now. If it means becoming a robot to save everyone else, I'm willing to make that sacrifice...I want you to upload yourself to Freedom HQ's mainframe after you make the change, your PDA will be destroyed in the process..." The princess said solemnly.

Momemts of silence passed. "...Yes Sally..." Nicole stated.

After a minute of hearing nothing but the sounds of explosions above, Nicole had finished making her changes. She then uploaded herself to Freedom HQ, but not before leaving one last message on her PDA. _"I have finished reconfiguring the World Roboticizer and uploaded myself to the HQ. I will miss you greatly Sally...do you wish to continue? Yes or no."_

"I will miss you, and everyone else Nicole. And goodbye..." Sally said as she pressed 'yes'.

Up above, Sonic and Kor were gaining the advantage on their adversaries. The constant damage from both Sonic and Kor was making it hard for Silver Sonic to continue functioning and Metal Sonic was now being tossed around. Eggman realized they were getting ever so closer to stopping his plan once again, so he had to act fast.

"Quick Snively! Fire the World Roboticizer!" He ordered.

"Yes sir." Came a meek reply.

Sonic and Kor watched in horror as the machine fired up, a white glow building inside of it. As the effects of the roboticizer began to spread, both sonic doubles malfunctioned before exploding. The same thing happened to Nicole's PDA below.

"HAAAAH HAHAHA! FINALLY! VICTORY IS MINE! MINE!" Eggman cheered.

However, his victory was cut short as the roboticizer suddenly began to crackle with electricity and started to malfunction. Everyone shielded their eyes as the light became too instense, before a large explosion enveloped the whole room. The explosion shook the entire fortress, blowing out several corridors and setting some others in flames. Outside, everyone could see bursts of flame puncture the sides of the Death Egg.

Back in the chamber with the World Roboticizer, Eggman pushed some debris off of him. His clothes were tattered and torn, and a good chunk of his moustache had been burned off. The doctor looked around and noticed the roboticizer was completely destroyed.

"Oh please tell me _they_ didn't make it either..." Eggman groaned.

Unfortunately for him, he saw Sonic kick a large piece of metal off of him and Kor steadily pushed some concrete of himself. Both of them had gotten a bit bruised from the blast, but were otherwise alright.

"Of course they did..." Eggman muttered to himself.

"Looks like we win again Egghead." Sonic smirked.

"Grr! Stay back you!" Eggman said, picking up a random busted pipe. However, Sonic just simply launched himself into the man's gut, toppling him.

"Just admit it Eggy, we got you on the ropes now. Once Sal gets back up here, we're gonna destroy this place, then deal with our issues at home." The hedgehog taunted.

"Try to tone it down a little pardner. Don't want him to lose his mind again..." Kor chuckled. "Though in all honesty, I ought to slay you were you sit."

Before the two could continue any further, a brown metal hand punched its way out of the rubble. Thinking it was just another robot, Sonic and Kor readied themselves, but they weren't prepared for what they saw. To the heroes horror, especially Sonic, and to Eggman's delight, the robot in question was a roboticized Sally.

"Intruders spotted. Engaging." The princess said in a monotonous tone.

Sonic just stood on the spot in horror. He couldn't believe the one person he loved was now a pawn for Eggman. Kor on the other hand, was furious. Quickly, he turned towards Eggman.

"You sneaky son of a bitch!" He said as he fired a rocket at him.

Mecha Sally moved quicker than anyone expected and grabbed the doctor before it struck him. She then moved quickly towards Kor, punching him in the gut which made him drop his weapon. The engineer then turned his robotic hand into a laser in an attempt to shoot her in the face, but Mecha Sally simply grabbed it with her other hand and crushed it to the point it'd be useless. Afterwards she punched his right arm so hard the bone broke in two. Kor screamed in pain, but his cries were cut short as Mecha Sally grabbed him by the throat. Sonic quickly shook himself back to reality and went to help.

"Sal let him go! This isn't you! Come on, you gotta be in there somewhere!" The hedgehog said desperately. He really did not want to have to fight her, but the only response he got was a cold, dead stare. Before he could move, she also grabbed him by his throat.

"Nice...job standin'...there..." Kor coughed out.

Eggman chuckled. "It's useless to try to reach out to her hedgehog. Once...someone is roboticized, my rule is absolute!" He laughed, even though he was still in pain. Gently easing himself off the ground, he walked towards a hallway. "Come along now. It's time to take out the trash."

Mecha Sally complied and followed, the two heroes still struggling in her iron grip. Along the way, Snively managed to get the comm. system working again.

"Sir! We have sustained massive energy leaks and the roboticizer is gone! However, the other major systems is still operational and we haven't lost any altitude."

"I'm well aware of what happened to the roboticizer Snively! I don't need you reminding me!" Eggman barked. He then turned towards the trio. "While it would be more sensible to simply have her walk all 3 of you into an incinerator, I want to enjoy this as much as I can." He chuckled.

"Yer sick...ya scumbag..." Kor retorted.

"Why thank you. All the more reason for me to toss you out with yesterday's trash!" Eggman said.

Once they reached the disposable chamber, it opens up, getting rid of any of the debris the Egg Mites collected, along with some of the poor robots being cast out as well. Eggman tells Sally to drop them, to which Sonic tries to get through to her one last time, but to no avail. Sally lets them go and watches as the two heroes fall to their deaths.

"Oh ho ho ho! Nicely done Mecha Sally." Eggman said.

"Your word is law." Sally replied, making Eggman smile brightly.

"Alright Snively, regardless of what happened, launch another assault on New Mobotropolis!"

"B-But sir! We don't have-" Snively was cut off by his uncle.

"I don't care what we _don't_ have, all that matters is that I still have a chaos emerald! And I'm certain we still have enough power to destroy that wretched city!" Eggman retorted.

"B-But Uncle Julian! We don't have the emerald anymore!"

"Don't have-WHAT?!"

"I'm not sure what happened, but it disappeared! When the roboticizer got destroyed, several systems were damaged and we're getting low on power!" Snively explained.

Eggman couldn't believe his luck. Just when he finally had the upper hand, something had to go wrong. "Of all the...just when I thought I had that chaos theory in my favor! Launch Projects Titan and Deadly Cuddles!" He ordered. "Come with me Mecha Sally. I need to think of a new name for you..."

**-Outside-**

"Seriously Sonic! Why in Sam Hill did you think she'd be that easy to break?! She's a goddamn robot now!" Kor yelled as they continued to fall.

"I managed to do the same with Uncle Chuck some time ago! And get mad at me all you want, I _know_ she's still in there somewhere!" Sonic retorted.

"Yeah well thanks to you not acting _fast_ enough, both of us are gonna die!" Kor fired back.

Just a few seconds later, Tails caught them both with the Tornado. Sonic landed on the wing whilst Kor fell headfirst into the passenger seat.

"Oww..." The engineer muttered.

"You guys ok?!" Tails asked before taking a head count. "Where's Sally?!"

"We didn't have a chance to save her! Take us back in Tails!" Sonic ordered.

"Wait, what happened to her?!"

"She's...she's a robot Tails..." Kor groaned, nursing his broken arm.

"A robot?! B-But that's impossible! The Bem made everyone immune to roboticization!"

"It's a long story buddy..." Sonic said as the 3 moved closer to the Death Egg. "Speaking of which, where's Naugus? That good for nothing creep is supposed to be helping us!"

Suddenly, a large, red metallic object launched from the Death Egg. Tails managed to narrowly avoid it before looking back to where it was heading. The red ball smashes into the outer wall (and consequently a sentry battery) as well as part of the coliseum. After impact, it begins to change shape into a large, 40 ft. version of Metal Sonic. For your consideration, Titan Metal Sonic.

"Mon Dieu..." Antonie said. He had been piloting the Freedom Fighter Special the entire time. "How are we zupposed to stop zat?!"

"Just keep piloting hon, I'll figure somethin' out." Bunnie said before heading towards the back of the aircraft.

"Wait, what are you going to do?" Amy asked.

"Find some way to stop that hunk-a-junk!" The cyborg said as she activated the boosters in her feet.

On the ground, Naugus wakes up, stunned from the effects of the Genesis wave.

"Ugh, what kind of witchcraft was that light?..." The wizard asked himself. He quickly rights himself as he notices Titan Metal Sonic beginning to rampage through the city. "No! He will not destroy _my _kingdom before I can claim it!" Naugus then casts wind magic before flying towards the robot.

As Titan Metal Sonic crashes through the other side of the coliseum, citizens are thrown into a panic and disperse all over the place. The Royal Military helps evacuate the citizens whilst as the same time, the Tarantulas head to deal with the robot. All of them were taken aback by its massive size, one even letting its jaw fall open in shock. Nonetheless, they repress any signs of fear to attempt to destroy the hulking machine. Although their lasers are capable of piercing strong armor, they were unsure if it'd work against the Metal Sonic.

The five robots spread out in order to launch their attacks from multiple directions before opening fire. Although they got the titan's attention, it wasn't having much affect on it. Their attacks either caused small burnt marks or small holes didn't appear to hurt it. Bunnie and Naugus join in, shooting fire and laser blasts respectively at the robot's face. The combined attacks stop the giant mech from advancing any further, despite dealing little damage. Titan Metal Sonic swats the wizard away and tries to do the same Bunnie, but she avoids the attack.

Naugus shakes his head in frustration as he gets back up. "Grr! Silence, all of you! I can handle it! I will show you!..." His magic staff glows brightly. "I'LL SHOW THEM ALL!"

The wizard casts a massive blast of magic at the titan. Unfortunately, Bunnie doesn't see the blast coming until it was too late. She only had time to shield her face before her and the giant mech are encased in crystalline.

**-Back on the Death Egg-**

Eggman reaches the command center. He looks around, seeing Lien-Da shouting orders to other Legionnaires and Snively walks up to him holding a clipboard.

"Sir! We've suddenly lost contact with Titan Metal Sonic. Some of the hydraulic systems took damage but they can be repaired, and-" He pauses when he notices the robot standing next to his uncle. "S-S-Sally?! Then that means, the roboticizer worked! And on the princess no less!"

However, Eggman just ignores him. "Put the engines into reverse power, and divert all power into the Egg Annihilator Beam! We're going to blow that city to smithereens!" The doctor shouted at the legionnaires.

"B-But sir! The Death Egg isn't in optimal condition! We're barely keeping this place flying!" Snively protested.

"Mecha Sally?..." Eggman asked in annoyance.

Sally grabbed the short overlander by his collar. "Do as the doctor commands!" Snively shakily complies.

**-With the heroes-**

Everyone begins to notice the underside of the Death Egg glowing. It then begins to rotate in position to the point the bottom is pointed at the city.

"Oh great, what now?" Sonic asked.

"Not to stop yer quest pardner, but big glowin' light means somethin' big is about to fire!" Kor shouted.

No sooner than the engineer finished, a massive beam of energy shoots from the bottom of the fortress. Both aircraft manage to avoid getting destroyed, but the blast damages the wings of both planes. To the heroes shock, they see it heading directly for New Mobotropolis. There is nothing they can do to stop it, but someone has an idea.

"Go crystal golem!" Naugus commanded.

Titan Metal Sonic, under the influence of the wizard, moves to block the blast. Upon intercepting it, the robot is shattered into pieces along with parts of the outer wall and more of the coliseum being damaged. As debris of the robot begin to rain down from where it was destroyed, Cream suddenly notices Bunnie lying unconscious on the ground. Against he mother's protest, the young rabbit quickly takes off and grabs the cyborg before she's crushed.

As she sets her down, Vanilla rushes to them. "Cream! Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine mother, but I don't think Ms. Rabbot is..."

Apparently most of Bunnie's body is encased in crystalline. Vanilla checks her pulse. "Oh thank heavens, she's still with us! Big? Can you be a dear and find Dr. Quack?" Big nods before running off.

Cream notices Bunnie's hat is missing and runs off to find it. She manages to find it among the debris (it was also crystalized), but that isn't the only thing she finds. Resting on a piece of rubble was a fox doll with a red gem attached to an antenna coming from its head. Cream grabs it as well, hoping the owner would want it back.

Outside the city, Tails is airlifting Sonic, who in turn is carrying Kor. The Tornado had been so badly damaged they had to bail. They soon come across the downed FFS, worried about the safety of the others. However, they didn't have to worry for long as they saw Amy hammer the ship's hatch open.

"You guys ok?" Sonic asked as Tails set them down.

"Yeah...Antoine did a good job landing that thing...what about you?" Amy asked, leaning on her hammer in exhaustion.

While Tails was helping Geoffrey and Antoine out, the pink hedgehog looks over Kor, who was lying on the ground. "What happened to you?!"

"Got shot and mah arm is broken..." The engineer groaned.

"Kor will be fine once we get him to Dr. Quack, I'm going back to the Death Egg!" Sonic announced.

"What?! Sonic, you can't be serious!" Amy shouted.

"Sonic, we barely survived this battle! What could be _so_ important that you want to-" Geoffrey stopped himself as he noticed someone was missing. "Where's Sally?"

Sonic sighed. "She managed to destroy Eggman's greatest weapon, but now..." He paused, "now Eggman has her...but even without our planes, I'm going to find a way back up there and save her." The hedgehog stated before walking off.

However, Amy grabbed his arm before he could get far. "Sonic wait! You and everyone else took a beating from being up there! It'd be stupid to go back right away, and on your own!"

"I agree with her on that. Also, the city's been damaged and-" Geoffrey chimed in but Antoine cut him off.

"After all you've done, you aren't in _any_ position to be helping us!" The coyote said angrily.

"Come on guys, I've taken a lot worse before. I still got some fight left!" The hedgehog protested.

"Sonic...you ain't goin' no where..." Kor said as he stood up. "We've taken our lumps with Eggman and bit off a lot more than we could chew...we're all tired, our home's been damaged and in need of repair, I know the damn people are probably pissin' themselves over this, and hell, I can see the fatigue on you already."

"Kor, I'm not _that_ tired..." Sonic retorted.

"Says you!" The engineer said as he walked towards the hedgehog. "If there's one thing I've learned from fightin' with y'all is that yer as stubborn as a mule, which is good but it's also annoyin' at times! Even if ya weren't tired, how the hell would you get back up there?! Sprout wings?! I was up there with you and we both saw all the shit Eggman's got in that toy box of his!" The fox said angrily before composing himself. "Look...one important lesson in fighting is that you gotta learn when to draw the line and retreat...if you go back up there now in yer current state you'll get yerself killed...there ain't nothin' more we can do now, and from the looks of it Eggman don't got anythin' left either."Everyone looked up and saw the Death Egg retreating from the city. "So we're gonna take a moment to heal and repair, and that's an _order_ mind you..." Kor finished.

Sonic wanted to argue but after all that everyone's said, he couldn't. He wouldn't admit but it was true that he wasn't in peak condition. He just wanted to get Sally back so badly that he hadn't listened to reason. Even if he did get up there, chances are Sally would more or less capture him than listen. The blue blur sighed in defeat. "You're right...let's go check the damage." He said, staring angrily at the retreating Death Egg.

**A/N: Welp, that's the end of that. Most of you are probably familiar with Sally becoming Mecha Sally, so that's nothing new if you've read that issue. For those who haven't, well you get the idea of how she turned.**

**On that note, I kept debating on who should become the robot: Sally or Kor. At first, I was thinking Kor because it would've been interesting to have Eggman turn him into a real killer robot that the Freedom Fighters would have a hard time dealing with, plus Nicole would be shocked beyond belief knowing her boo was turned evil. In the end though, I decided to follow the classic route and let Sally do it because there were some qualities of Kor that had not been used yet. **

**Also, the whole reality inducing thing that happened during the Genesis wave is actually going to be another story I have planned later, given through Kor's perspective. ****So for next chapter, what will happen to the heroes as they clean their wounds? Some of you may already know, but I won't spoil anything.**


	33. It Can't Get Worse Right?

**A/N: Hello fellow viewers, welcome to chapter 33. As you've seen last chapter, things seem pretty bleak: the Death Egg Mk. II is operational, New Mobotropolis has been damaged, and worst of all, Sally is a robot. It couldn't possibly get any worse right? Think again.**

**To KashKey: Thank you for the nice review. These are pretty much few and far between. I've had TF2 for 5 years come this Christmas, and I still enjoy the game very much. I incorporated the Direct Hit since I own a strange variant of it and this serves as a hint at what Kor would be like in a later sequel. I plan to have more of him revealed as the story goes on. I know that the main attribute for the Gunslinger hasn't been used much as it only served as a prosthetic hand, but I may let it have some use later on. It's actually a little difficult juggling a lot of characters as sometimes I forget to mention 1 or 2, but it happens.**

**To Shade of Naxx: This is a long overdo thank you, but thank you for the reply. Back when Meet the Medic came out in 2011 I was about as hyped as everyone else, even though I thought the Quick Fix sucked at the time. Also it had me thinking, wouldn't those uber batteries need changing from time to time? They've been in the mercs for a couple years and all batteries gotta wear out at some point.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

The opinion of the public is like a double-edged sword. In one instance, it can swing ideals into your favor. Then the next thing you know, they don't see you in the same light anymore. That's exactly what was happening to the heroes right now. As they trudged back into the half-ruined city, they gawked at the devastation Eggman wrought upon them. Several homes had been damaged or destroyed, the Coliseum looked ready to collapse, the castle was damaged along with some other business buildings, and of course, bits and pieces of crystalline and metal were strewn about. But that was far from the worst news.

The group found Bunnie mostly covered in crystalline with Vanilla, Cream, and Big by her side. Antoine was completely devastated at the site of his wife. Thankfully, she was still alive and Dr. Quack ordered them to take her to the hospital. He said the same for Kor given that red fox looked ready to pass out at any second, so Tails helped him along the way. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about the REAL bad news.

Thanks to said public opinion mentioned previously, Naugus had been crowned king. Sonic was quick to jump on the gun about the wizard's past deeds and how he's a threat to them all. Naugus in turn pointed out how Elias is unfit to rule, which really didn't help since he just discovered what happened with his sister. The wizard also boasted how he would be able to protect the city from both Eggman and Nicole, which earned a glare from the heroes and the Tarantulas standing nearby.

Amy then shifted concern to Bunnie, to which Naugus explained was a 'minor mistake'. As such, this leads us to Tommy Turtle Hospital. Both Bunnie and Kor were in the same room. The rabbit was now awake, though it bugged her that she couldn't move anything besides her head and right arm. Dr. Quack still hasn't figured out how to deal with that issue, so for the time being he was tending to Kor. Tails just finished wrapping one around the his tail.

Bunnie sighed. "This stinks harder than a bad rodeo! Ah wish ah saw that blast comin'. What was that old geezer thinking?..."

"Fret not mah sweet. As soon as we figure out how to break ze crystal, I'm going to be giving zat accursed wizard a piece of my mind!" The coyote said angrily.

"I'm very sorry Ms. D'Coolette, but as I said before I won't be able to do anything until I'm certain we can break you out of that little coffin without bringing harm to you..." Dr. Quack stated.

"It's alright...I blame that darn wizard for this anyway...if I ever git free first thing I'ma do is smack him senseless!"

"Well at least you don't got broken bones..." Kor groaned.

"Normally I would expect Sonic to take this kind of beating, but it seems you two have traded places for the time being." The doctor stated as he finished wrapping Kor's torso. "Now, I am aware you have a healing device in one of your...dispensers was it? I recommend sitting near it til the bones are fixed."

"Did Medic ever give ya them ubercannons yet?" Asked the engineer.

"Unfortunately no. He said he...ran into some 'complications' as he put it, so he's under fire from GUN at the moment."

"Figures..." Kor sighed.

Just then, the door swung open as Naugus, Geoffrey, Sonic, and Amy stepped into the room, the former two earning glares from everyone else.

"And just vat are _you_ doing here?!" Antoine asked.

"Simple my little soldier: I'm here you alleviate your dear wife of the burden I've 'mistakingly' placed upon her." The wizard chuckled.

"And that's supposed ta make me feel any better?!" Bunnie exclaimed.

"I believe you and zat _traitor_," Antoine pointed at Geoffrey, "have done enough! You won't be laying a finger on mah wife!" The coyote said as he threatened to draw his blade.

Naugus only chuckled. "Nonsense. I only want what is best for you and your beloved. In fact, I want the people to witness this as well!"

Using his wand, the wizard opened up the wall, which revealed much of the populace waiting in anticipation.

"Gee-zus, privacy much?!" Kor said with an annoyed tone.

"Now relax, you won't feel a thing." Naugus grinned evilly before chanting a few words.

His wand gave off an intense light that caused everyone to shield their eyes. Once it was over, everyone was in shock, including Naugus himself. Bunnie looked over her features and saw she was no longer covered in crystalline, but that wasn't the only thing she noticed. Her left arm and the lower half of her body no longer comprised of robotic parts. They were completely organic. Cautiously, she felt her arm incase it was an illusion, but it was the real thing. She began to cry tears of joy as she realized she was once again a regular mobian. No longer feeling metal mixed with skin almost seemed foreign to her, but she was elated none the less.

Naugus just looked on confused. He didn't intend for the now-former-cyborg to become fully organic, but thankfully for him, Geoffrey was a quick thinker.

"Without her cybernetics, she won't be much of a threat in the future." The skunk whispered.

The wizard chuckled. "Take note of what your fair king has done my subjects! As a reward for her bravery, not only have I freed Ms. Rabbot from her crystal prison, but I have also done away with her cybernetics! She has been granted another chance to live a normal life! And speaking of which, if you'll allow it, I can do the same for you Mr. Royce." Naugus glanced at Kor.

This caused the crowd to have some debate amongst themselves.

"You try doin' any fancy wizard crap on me and I'll fill both yer heads with lead..." Kor said with a glare.

"An opportunity of a lifetime and you refuse it? I thought you were supposed to be smart." Geoffrey chided.

"If I wasn't injured I'd show you whose the smart one 'round here!" Kor yelled.

"Knock it off Geoffrey. Unlike you, he actually risked his life to save everyone, not turn their lives upside down!" Sonic butted in.

"And you claim to be doing the same thing while up there? And whose fault was it that allowed Sally to be roboticized?" Geoffrey retorted.

"That's a low blow stinky and you know it!" Sonic said through gritted teeth.

"Enough pestering the hedgehog my apprentice. We have more important issues to deal with." Naugus said as he closed the wall. "I bid you 'heroes' a good day." He stated before leaving, Geoffrey following shortly after.

Sonic turned to Amy and Tails. "Guys, make sure everyone else knows about what happened on the Death Egg and Sally. I'm going to figure out a way to rescue her." The hedgehog said, jetting out of the room before anyone could make an interjection.

Amy sighed. "But we don't even know what happened out there...given how badly you're injured, I'm guessing it didn't turn out as planned?" She asked Kor.

"Due to how this was ever so suddenly thrown at us, no. Didn't know what expect, just went in there to stop whatever that mad man was up to. Long story short, that white light you noticed earlier reset reality or whatever, so everyone is susceptible to this 'roboticization' process." The engineer explained. Everyone besides Tails gasped at this

"But, didn't that alien race prevent that sorta thing from happenin'?!" Bunnie asked in shock.

"They did, but when reality was reset, the effects from their device no longer applied..." Tails said grimly.

"However, there's good and bad news to this. The good news is that Sally managed to find a way to overload the system and cause it to self-destruct. Bad news...she...she ended up as a robot...and she's the reason mah hand _and_ arm are busted..." Kor finished.

The others didn't know what to say. It was a lot of information to take in. It sure explained why Sonic was so quick to get back to the Death Star, I mean Death Egg, but the question of getting Sally was another story. Also there's the fact of how everyone else would take it.

Dr. Quack looked at Kor's legs and noticed the fur there was a little burned. "If I may ask, what exactly happened to your legs?"

"Let's just say, rocket jumpin's a bit painful..." The engineer said. "On to other things...Tails, I need you to do me a favor. Go to my hanger and bring one of my tool boxes. It's red and has the number 22 on it. Bring that along with one of my wrenches."

Amy was looking out the window and noticed some of the buildings had yet to be repaired. "I wonder why Nicole isn't repairing anything like she normally would..."

Kor gave an annoyed look at her. "A good portion of the city got damaged Amy, things like this take time...it's very well possible she probably isn't in the city's system though."

"Wasn't she with Sally when all of you went on ze Death Egg?" Antoine asked.

"Yeah..." Then a thought came to the engineer. "I hope to God she wasn't up there when that thing activated..."

**-Freedom HQ-**

After leaving the hospital, Sonic made a beeline straight for the HQ. Once he got there, he went immediately to the lab's main computer. It didn't appear to be online, but he decided to try his luck anyway.

"Hey Nicole, you in there? How ya holdin' up?" The hedgehog asked.

There was no reply for a few moments, but then a block of text appeared on the screen.

_Yes...__I was with Sally when the roboticizer came online. __My original chasis was with her when it activated...and now it's gone...__Sally was my very first friend...my best friend...and she's gone too..._

Sonic read it before replying back. "I know it's hard now Nicole, but I'm going to figure out a way to save her. For now I need you to open up a warp ring to Angel Island." There was a minute of silence before a ring on the table grew in size, big enough to walk through it. In it, a portal opened up to reveal Angel Island on the other side. "Thanks Nicole! We'll talk more after I get back."

All he got in return was a blank screen. Sonic looked at the computer with sorrow before going through the ring.

**-The Death Egg-**

Eggman was in a workshop looking at Mecha Sally's design on some blueprints. He had done some scans on her and was looking for ways he could improve her to be an efficient, deadly machine. So many ideas for modifications popped into his head, which made him chuckle evilly. It was going to be _oh so_ worth it using her as a weapon against Sonic. His thoughts were cut short as he heard Snively approaching with papers.

"Sir, the reserve power is currently holding strong, but we've lost a lot more power after firing the Egg Annihilator Beam. The good news is that we've begun to make up for it after launching Titan Metal Sonic..." The short man shuffles through them. "It appears most of the damage is concentrated at the Roboticizer Chamber, but there are several system problems throughout the Death Egg and without the emerald, it's making things are more difficult..."

Eggman just looked at him with a glare. "Can't you see I'm busy?! Go blather your worries elsewhere!" The rotund doctor said as he got some tools ready. Mecha Sally just stared at them with a deadpan glare.

Snively slapped his forehead and growled in frustration. He was getting sick of his uncle not heeding his advice, especially when not doing so could lead to their deaths. "We're barely flying here, and all you're concerned about is one robot?!"

In response, Eggman stalked up to him. "The Egg Mites will handle the repairs...," He grabbed the papers and tossed them away, "the emerald will be found..." He then got in Snively's face so he could look him in the eyes, making the shorter man quiver in fear. "And I've had a series of refueling depots built well before I even thought of using the emerald!" The doctor then flicked his nephew on the nose. "So no worries!" Eggman said cheerfully.

"Now take your worthless carcass elsewhere! I have work to do!" He finished in his usual annoyed tone.

Snively rubbed his nose before mumbling. "Fine, if you won't take this seriously, I might as well take full advantage of the situation!" He said to himself as he stormed out of the room.

The mad genius rummages through his tools before finding what he was looking for. "Oh, little princess. You used to be such a problem for me. You organized that little group of children and managed to upset everything for years. Sonic was your W.M.D., but you _aimed_ him. You may have saved half of Mobius from me, but you exposed the heart of the Freedom Fighters." He slid his working goggles over his glasses and started a blow torch. "And I plan to make the most of it." He said with an evil grin before starting his project.

**-2 Hours Later: Freedom HQ-**

Kor was sitting in the lab of Freedom HQ working on rebuilding his hand. It was rather difficult since part of it was based on nanites and he was trying to put the spare parts on without accidentally making his hand worse than how it already was. He also brought some nanites in the form of a broken piece of the wall. Thanks to Tails bringing his dispenser, his bullet wounds healed up easily, so he did away with the bandages. The bones in his arm were fixed but still fragile, so he kept the cast on to allow them to harden. That wasn't all the work he needed to do though. A couple Tarantulas needed to be given small repairs and part of the wall where Titan Metal had landed crushed the hidden battery there, so he needed to replace that. What fun that would be.

Kor sighed in frustration as he stopped working on his hand again. The engineer still had no luck on finding Nicole. He checked the city's systems and she wasn't detected anywhere in them. He was practically worried sick about her at this point. If she died up there on that ship...there was no telling what he would do if that was the case. If Mina's concert taught him anything, she could hide when she wanted to be alone. But...she could be in some place that's obvious. Kor glanced at the main computer before wheeling over to it. Hoping he was right, he typed.

_"You in there Nikki? It's Kor."_

After waiting a few minutes for a response, the fox was relieved when he got a reply.

_Yes..._

_"How are you? I was mighty worried when I couldn't find ya anywhere..."_

_What can I say? Distraught? Mortified? Distressed?...All 3 apply..._

Kor sighed. He figured it was about Sally. Nicole once told him they were very close friends ever since the A.I. developed emotions, probably the equivalent of a sister you could say. _"I'm really sorry about what happened to Sally Nikki...I wish we could do something more to...ok can I speak to you? It's hard typing with one hand..."_

The lynx looked at the message before looking through the monitor's camera. She was quite surprised at how Kor looked.

The engineer was then surprised when he heard her voice _behind _him. Turning around, Kor saw Nicole in her physical form. "H-How did you..."

"Some time ago, Rotor installed projectors in the HQ so I could move around more freely..." She then got a good look at him. "...I knew you had been shot but I didn't think it was that serious..." She said in a worried tone.

"Gun wounds didn't do it..._she_ did..." Kor said while looking at his arm.

Nicole understood what he meant and couldn't help herself as tears began to stream from her eyes. It was already bad enough Sally was roboticized, but now it was worse that she nearly killed Sonic and her boyfriend.

"Don't cry Nicole, don't cry..." The engineer said as he got up and walked towards her. "Look, I know things seem bad now, but we're already tryin' to figure out how to save her...well, Sonic is."

"I'm...I'm aware of that..." She rubbed her eyes. "But I'm not too sure if he'll be able to do much himself..."

"No one said he was...I know Sonic wants to hurry and get back in the game, but we ain't runnin' in there guns blazin'..." Kor sighed. "I know we got a lot on our plate Nicole, but I can promise you this...I _will_ find a way to bring Sally back, even if it kills me-" He was interrupted when Nicole screeched at him.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" This made the engineer flinch backwards. "D-Don't say even if it k-kills you...it's already bad enough Sally is gone...the people of New Mobotropolis already hate me...I...I don't want to lose you either..." Nicole said as tears began to flow from her eyes again.

Kor gave her a firm look and nodded. "Ok, but you know I'll try mah damnest to bring her back..."

Nicole then hugged him tightly as she continued to sob. "I know you will..." She sniffled. Kor affectionately returned the hug, even rubbing her back as she continued to cry into his shoulder. This went on for a few minutes until she stopped crying.

"Feel any better?"

"A little..." She replied, then glanced at his hand. "Did she...?"

"Yeah...to be fair, I tried to shoot her in self-defense, but thinkin' about it I doubt it would've done any good..." Kor sighed.

Nicole looked at where Kor had been previously working before taking his hand to get a better look at it. "Well...the damage doesn't look too bad, but it's not good...I should be able to fix it in 10 minutes, but keep in mind your whole hand assembly needs to be rebuilt."

"10 minutes? I've been working at it for over an hour and still couldn't crack it!" Kor said skeptically.

"Forgot who designed your hand?" The A.I. replied with a smug look.

"True..."

They walked over to the desk. Kor lied his hand on the table while Nicole started to work. "...Anything happen to the city after I left the Death Egg?..."

"Some giant robot attacked and made a huge mess...it's gonna need some repairin', and I gotta replace a sentry battery _again _since it smashed it when it crashed...that ain't the worst though..." She looked at him questioningly. "Naugus is king now..."

The A.I. sighed as she stopped for a second. "...It seems that everything is going in a downward spiral...with Naugus in charge, no doubt he'll push for me to be exiled from the city..."

"I don't doubt it...to be honest I'm thinkin' of moving elsewhere at this point. It's just gotten too hectic in New Mobotropolis..." The fox said in thought.

"But...what about the citizens? What about the Freedom Fighters? You've put so much work into defending the city, it wouldn't be a wise move to just leave now, but...given the circumstances..."

"I know, that's why I'm planning to move here. Sally said this place was 'Home away from Home', though I think it'll be my permanent residence, at least til things settle."

"Hmm...that could work. But will you be comfortable here? I know it's a little less secure here and everything but-" Nicole said before Kor interrupted her.

"Ah don't fret pumpkin. Besides, I'll be able to keep you company should everyone else...you know..."

"That would be true I suppose..."

A silence had followed the conversation, with nothing being heard except for Nicole fixing the engineer's hand. After she took off the damaged parts, she reshaped the nanites to make up the main body, then she began adding the spares. Kor decided to instead have his hand morph into a single barreled cannon instead of triple barrels for easier maintenance while she was rebuilding it. The A.I.'s tongue stuck out of her mouth slightly as she focused, pushing a rather difficult piece into place.

"Come on...there!" She said when she heard a click. "Enjoy your new hand Mr. Royce." She said with a smile.

Kor inspected his hand and flexed it about, releaved he could finally use it. "Thanks a bunch Nikki. I'm actually right-handed, so imagine me tryin' to write anything. It'd look like a 2 year old's writing." He chuckled.

"I could imagine." Nicole giggled.

The fox sat in thought for a moment. "You said Sonic took a warp ring to Angel Island right?"

"Affirmative."

"I think it'd be better if I build a teleporter there. Would be easier, and probably more efficient."

"But aren't you the only one, well not counting your other friends, that can use them?"

"Yeah...but I could change that."

Before Kor could continue, they heard the front door of the base opening and closing. Wondering who it was, they walked out and saw Tails looking for something in the fridge.

"Hello Tails." Nicole said.

The kit flinched for a moment before lifting his head. "Oh hey Nicole, Kor. Didn't think you guys would be here." He grabbed a soda before closing the door. "Have you seen Sonic anywhere?"

"He left for Angel Island a couple hours ago. He hasn't-" Nicole got cut off as the door opened, revealed the blue hedgehog. He looked a little upset about something.

"Hey Sonic, how come you went to the floating place?" Kor asked.

"Needed to tell Knuckles and the others the bad news. I wanted to see if I could use a warp ring after ol' Knucklehead tried to clobber me, but he didn't want to risk it..." The blue blur explained. "He said 'I needed to wait', but this is _Sonic the Hedgehog_ you're talking to! Waiting just isn't in my vocabulary."

"Good things come to those who wait Sonic. 'Sides, after we cover our bases and finish recuperatin', we'll make a plan to get her back." The engineer told him.

"I'll keep ya to that...looks you're almost done being fixed up yourself." Sonic smirked.

"Well once this cast is gone it's back to business. I can thank this pretty lady here for helpin'." Kor said, wrapping his arm around Nicole, causing the lynx to blush whilst smiling geniunely.

"You doin' ok Nicole?...I'm sorry about what happened to Sal, but-" Now it was Nicole's turn to interrupt.

"It's fine Sonic. All of you did what you could...but I know you will bring her back to us, and to New Mobotropolis." She smiled.

"Is the city still in pieces Tails?" Kor asked.

"Not entirely. Rotor is manually controlling the nanites to rebuild everything. He could use some help though." The kit explained, taking another sip of his drink.

"I'll go. I may not be welcomed there as much...but it is a home for my friends. I'll see you all soon." Nicole stated before her avatar disappeared.

"Oh, and before I forget, Antoine arrested Geoffrey for treason!" Tails stated.

"That's one of the best news I've heard all day." Sonic chuckled.

**A/N: That's the end of that. Thought about adding more to it, but I'll save that for next chapter. Rest as much as you can heroes, for they will soon find that they can't even get a moments rest around here. **

**Also, if you're interested, Kor's cybernetic hand is based off a TF2 skin for the Gunslinger called 'The Rocket Wrist'. It from the Steam Workshop, but googling it should allow you to easily find it.**


	34. Never Say 'It Can't Get Worse'

**A/N: Welcome to chapter 34 fellow viewers. Now last chapter, the heroes were still recovering after Eggman's attack and Naugus' subsequent takeover as king. Let's find out what will happen today shall we? Also if things seem short, sorry in advance.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

"This is gonna sound racist, but I really hate them birds..." Kor groaned as he was restocking the walled sentries. He wore his typical work goggles as he maintained one of his machines.

"Well, that technically isn't since you're talking about the Battle Bird Armada." Tails explained as he was passing ammunition to the older fox.

"Still, can't we get a break for once? I mean, it's one thing to have to watch over a small nest every minute, but a whole city? How do you guys stand it?"

"Welcome to our world." The kit smirked.

"I guess...how'd you meet those clowns again?" The engineer finished with the bullets and missiles and was now reloading the rockets.

"Well...the place I'm about to tell you is my secret. Only Bunnie and Antoine know of it since they were there too."

"Ok, shoot."

The twin-tailed fox sat on the wall as he talked. "There's a relatively large island called Cocoa Island somewhere in the ocean. I came across it during one of my early solo adventures to Downunda. Since it was uninhabited, it made a good location for me to set up a workshop and just relax."

"So a 'home from home' then."

"Yep. During the time Eggman was hiding I decided to go there to relax, but this time I decided to take the married couple with me since they hadn't had a honeymoon yet. I noticed that something was off when we first arrived though. Cocoa Island has two smaller islands around it, but a third was there this time."

"You sure you didn't just map it wrong?" The red fox shut the ammo storage.

"That's the same thing Bunnie said, and no. I mapped the entire place well beforehand. But, I was right about something being off, because as it turns out the Armada had disguised their flying fortress as an island. They attacked us on the first night, I had a run-in with Speedy, but..." Tails chuckled, "they thought Bunnie was part of the Dark Egg Legion because of her cybernetics. They didn't realize their mistake until it was too late. In the end, we damaged their ship to the point they were unable to do anything else until it was fixed." The kit boasted. "But...now we know what they would've done..."

"Well, that explained why they were more sore at you than Sonic, but what about them Rogues?"

"You'd have to ask Sonic about that. He knows more than I do...you think the Armada may come back?"

"You guys saw them crash into the mountains out west. You tell me." Kor picked up his toolbox and headed inside with Tails flying after him.

The heroes really couldn't catch a break this week. First off, while Geoffrey was found guilty, he was pardoned of all charges by Naugus. Then, hours after the trial, the Battle Bird Armada showed up to invade the city. It's only been a day since the Death Egg attacked! Many weren't sure if the attack was coordinated between the Battle Kukku and Eggman, but it became clear they were after their own goals. Overall, the invasion didn't go as planned. The sentries along the city wall prevented heavy troop ships from landing and the smaller aircraft and drones were cut to pieces by the Freedom Fighters and Tarantulas. Of course, Naugus saw this as an opportunity to spread his influence by attempting to take over the super fortress, but like the Death Egg, the ship was immune to his magic and he was promptly shut out of the whole ordeal.

What did go right for the Battle Birds, was that they destroyed Castle Acorn, but they didn't do it just to weaken everyone's morale. Apparently, New Mobotropolis was sitting on top of an ancient ship called Babylon Garden. The Battle Birds claimed it to be a lost relic of their history from what Kor heard. But, as coincidental as it was that their city just happened to be there, they didn't get to enjoy their lost heirloon for long. Sonic destroyed a key component that piloted the Gardens and sent it along with the Armada's fortress into some nearby mountains.

Nicole sighed as she surveyed the damage from within the city's mainframe. It would take days to be repaired, and she would get a jump-start on it now if it weren't for the fact she wasn't in favor of the public for the time being. Rotor said he would get on it but he was meeting with the other heroes at the moment. As much as she would like to ignore them, she couldn't even walk around without someone yelling something negative at her. Deciding to stop thinking about it for the time being, she listened in on their meeting.

"But we can't just leave! My family didn't hold the crown for decades just to be succeeded by an insane wizard!" The former king exclaimed. He already had this debate with his parents. They would join but Max went into shock from trying to comprehend the whole situation.

"While we understand your concerns Elias, you and your family are not safe here. For all we know, Naugus could be plotting your deaths right now." Rotor pointed out.

"Plus, it'd be good to get you out of ugly's hair before he decides to act." Sonic agreed.

"And don't you worry about yer city. It's pretty well defended." Kor added.

Elias sighed. "First my sister...and now I'm forced to run...I wish...I just wish I could actually _do_ something instead of being a coward..."

"Don't fret your highness. Zis iz not an act of cowardness, but moreso a tactical retreat if you will. We will do all we can to make sure you and your family will be getting to your destination safely!" Antoine said with an assured tone.

"That we will, Ah just hope ah don't slow y'all down..." Bunnie told him in a solemn tone. While she was glad she wasn't a cyborg anymore, she was worried that she'd be too weak to fight.

"Don't fret mah wife. I never had ze powers to begin with, yet I have performed up to the upmost level!" Antoine boasted, performing a few moves with his blade.

"With a hint of wimpness added in for good measure." Sonic muttered with a chuckle. The coyote just glared at the hedgehog.

"He's got a point though Buns. Even before I got into those...accidents...no one could say I wasn't defenseless. And I don't mean by hanging around my machines. You know how to shoot right?" Kor asked.

"Sho' nough."

"Welp, I'll lend ya somethin' to use. I also plan on bringin' mah sentry incase things go sour."

Elias sighed. "...Alright, no use in arguing anymore about it. I'll alert my wife that we'll be leaving soon."

**-Meanwhile on the Death Egg-**

Eggman was in his office for the time being. He grinned evilly as he read the production rates of his new robot army. Since most of his egg pawns and badnik horde was destroyed thanks to Enerjak, he seriously needed new tools at his disposal. Sure, the Dark Egg Legion was a 'decent' replacement at best, but at least with robots they don't sass or questions your orders. He also made sure that they would not be able to be reconfigured so easily, an issue he was well acquainted with. Robots like Gamma, Omega, and his original Metal Sonic being prime examples.

As for Mecha Sally, he spent hours weaponizing her to to be his enforcer. Along with several new weapons installed, he also gave her a modified power ring as her main conduit. The main difference between it and a regular ring was that it would not restore her free will due to all the modifications made on her. He boasted that with it, she would have the power to defeat Sonic. That has yet to be tested however. Little did he know was that he was going to have a secret meeting of his own.

Eggman was interrupted from his meddling when his main screen started to crackle to life. Whoever was trying to make contact him must've had bad reception due to all the static. "What in blazes is this signal wavelength? Is someone there? Answer me!"

The static cleared up enough to show that it was King Naugus. "Greetings Doctor! It's been a while." The wizard grinned. He was sitting alone in a temporary office somewhere in the city, and was communicating to him through the purple emerald from his staff.

"Naugus..." Eggman said with vemon in his voice. "To what do I owe this displeasure?"

"Consider this a courtesy call, from one conqueror to another. I have information about your next best shot at the Freedom Fighters." The wizard chuckled.

"Hmm, I see. I'm willing to bet this information doesn't come cheap..."

"Perceptive. Information for information doctor. My apprentice tells me you aren't quite the man I remember. Now tell me, do you recall our _first_ meeting?"

Eggman's face was deadpanned. "Are you joking? Of course I remember! Though, it would be useful to compare notes...anyway, it was during my younger days. Old Mobotropolis had recently fallen into my grasp, and at the time I was 'curious' about the properties of the Zone of Silence."

"Curious meaning you wanted to visit those you cast into the void?" Naugus cut in.

"Precisely. I wanted to see if Kodos and Max been done each other in. I knew the zone was dangerous, so I wasn't going to let myself be trapped in there. I thought I came prepared, but what I didn't expect was to be ambushed."

"That would have been my minion Feist. He brought you to me, and between Kodos, Maximillion, and my apprentice at the time, they were concerned about your power-hungry, treasonous ways. Also, I found out you had taken over _my_ city." The wizard hissed.

"Well, you were out during my coup so it was fair that I claimed it first."

"Shall I point out that while in the Prime Zone you had all the power, I controlled the Zone of Silence? I remember the fond adventures we had together." Naugus gave a dark chuckle.

"Maybe for you, you demented gargoyle! I had to run for my life for most of the time there! Yet, despite your magic I was able to contact Snively so he could bring me in. Back then I could actually trust that runt..." Eggman glared off screen. Just about everyone knew Snively was a doormat when it came to Eggman, but since the Iron Dominion the short man actually started to grow a pair, and it bugged Eggman that he couldn't keep him in line like he used to. "Oh, and before I departed, I _thanked_ you for the hospitality you gave me!" The doctor chuckled.

"I _liked_ that thone!" Naugus retorted angrily.

"Oh please, I'm sure you just poofed up a new one. Anyway, some time later, the First Robotnik War ended, you escaped, etc. etc. You know the rest. Oh, and did you hear? Feist took over and renamed it 'The Special Zone'." The doctor replied, his head resting on his hand.

"Yes, such a travesty..."

"Now for your end of the bargain. Either maake good with your deal, or so help me I'll-!"

"Save your petty threats doctor. With those heroes out of the way it'll be beneficial for us both. Anyway, the former King Elias and his family will be leaving the city later today. The Freedom Fighters will be their escorts." The wizard hissed with an evil grin.

"Hah hah hah! And with them close to the convoy it makes a nice target for an ambush! Shall I gloat on your behalf when I attack?"

"No no. Keep this between us. I need to maintain and image for my public." Naugus grinned evilly.

"Very well then. I'll do that, as you say, professional courtesy."

"Farewell doctor." Naugus grinned as the link ended.

Eggman jumped for joy in his seat. Oh it as going to be a glorious task to ambush all of those pesky animals, and as a bonus, the former king and his family. Eggman could already imagine the look on Elias' face if Sally got a hold of him. If the heroes were to lose their precious king, it would strike a major blow to their morale and could stop them from being a giant thorn in his side.

"Mecha Sally and Metal Sonic! Report to my office! I need a word with you both." He said over the comm line.

**-30 minutes later-**

The Freedom Fighters, minus Rotor and Nicole, leave the city with the Acorn family. Bunnie and Antoine drove them in a modified Mobo-Cruiser that also acted as an APC. Sonic was in the lead running ahead of them with Kor bringing up the rear on his mobile sentry. Tails and Amy were in the newly-repaired Tornado for air support. Since Bunnie didn't have a weapon of her own at the time, Kor lent her a shotgun along with a pistol he kept but rarely used. The engineer also brung his rocket launcher just in case. Their destination was the Feral Forest, which was rather thick and had some backwater village the royal family could hide in.

On board the Death Egg, Eggman and Snively were monitoring their movements. "Is phase 1 ready?"

"Yes sir. They're in position."

"Excellent. They may fend off this attack, but they won't be prepared for phase 2." The doctor chuckled.

Back on the ground, Sonic speeds ahead, scanning for enemies. He was unaware of the trap that lie in wait for him, but thanks to his heightened senses, he dodges laser fire a by a split second. "Finally some excitement!" The hedgehog said, turning toward his aggressor. To his surprise, he sees robots that appear to be a mix of the Swatbots and Egg Pawns. "How did Eggman know we'd be out here?!" He didn't have long to think about it as the robots fired on him again. The blue blur easily sidesteps and spindashes right through them like a bullet through paper at a shooting range.

Back with the convoy, they hear the gun shots and are brought to full alert. Everyone scans for any enemies but find none. Only time they get a good look is when Kor's sentry suddenly jerks to the left and fires between some trees. Everyone is in shock at the newly built Egg Swats coming at them.

"Eggman's robots? What're they doin' here?!" Bunnie asked.

"How'd Eggman know we'd be out here? Wasn't this supposed to be a secret?" Kor asked as he jumped off his sentry.

"I am not knowing how, but we must defend ze car!" Antoine said as he jumped out.

By now, they were being fired at from all sides. Elias, Megan and their daughter huddle together inside, praying they don't get hit. Some lasers do strike the vehicle but do no damage. Antoine runs up to their attackers and slices through them with ease. Bunnie uses her shotgun and manages to dispatch a few, though she's struggles a bit from having to constantly avoid fire. When she had her cybernetics she could withstand a few hits and move faster, but now she can't risk it. She didn't want to say it now, but she kinda wishes she was still a cyborg.

Tails circles above, firing missiles at the robots at the given opportunity. Due to the trees it was a little difficult. Amy already jumped off to hammer the Swats to pieces. Kor used his launcher to dispatch some of them, though he had to use his sentry as cover while it fired to avoid being singed. Sonic sped back and joined in the action.

"Are these Egghead's new robots or some redesigns? This ain't even a warm up!" Kor said as he fired another rocket.

"They kinda look like Swatbots. Guess ol' Eggy is really scraping the bottom of the barrel to bring up such old toys!" Sonic smirked as he kicked a bot's head in.

"Rah!" Amy slammed a robot so hard it went through a few trees. "Now that's a homerun!"

"How are you holding up mah sweet?" Antoine asked as he stabbed a bot's abdomen.

"Good so far. Feelin' a little worn out but ah'm still goin'!" Bunnie said while she more shells.

**-On the Death Egg-**

"S-Sir! The Egg Swats are taking heavy losses!" Snively yelled.

"Obviously. Now we get to the fun part!" Eggman said cheerfully. "Send in the players for phase 2! On the double!"

**-Back on the ground-**

As the heroes finish cleaning up the Egg Swats, Tails notices something flying towards him. "Guys, we got inbound! I see Metal Sonic and...is that Sally?!"

"What?!" Sonic asked in shock.

Indeed, Sally was flying at him with the new rocket boots she was given. She dives toward the Tornado before landing on the plane's nose. "Subject verified: Freedom Fighter. Terminating." She said as a laser appeared on her head.

Thinking quickly, Tails jumps from his aircraft as Mecha Sally blasts his seat a second later. The plane's controls are damaged and it goes into a downward spiral.

"We have serious problem guys! Sally and Metal Sonic are here!"

"Don't worry Tails, I'll back you up!" Amy said as she runs to cover him. While she is intially shocked at Sally's appearance, she doesn't let it distract her for long. The hammering heroine swings her weapon at the roboticized chipmunk once she gets within range, who catches it and snatches it out of her grasp. Mecha Sally then kicks Amy into a tree. Tails comes to assist but the robot fires lasers at him to throw him off. She stops when she is alerted to her missile warning system. Dodging out of the way, she sees Kor pointing weapons at her.

"Ya broke mah arm last time we met Sal, and unlike Sonic I ain't above shuttin' ya down for everyone's safety." The engineer said in a low tone.

"Prediction of you besting this unit is 0%. Chances of you suffering more than a broke arm is at 65%." Mecha Sally stated.

"Maybe, but I got new toys with me this time." As Kor said that, his sentry shat fire at her. Sally was forced to dodge but she closes in on them.

Sonic notices and rushes to his friend's aid. "Hang on guys! I'm coming!" He jets toward the robot chipmunk, but before he could get within striking distance he was tackled by Metal Sonic. "I really don't have time to deal with you!" He glared at his robot copy.

"Hang on 'Sug! I'm comin'!" Bunnie said.

She fires a few rounds at the metal hedgehog before smacking him off with the shotgun. However, the rounds do little damage to the bot and he punches Bunnie in the face, sending her flying and temporarily knocking her out. Antoine notices this but is unable to help her at the moment due to taking care of the last few Egg Swats.

With Mecha Sally, she closes in on Kor despite the sentry firing at her. Unleashing one of her laser swords, she stabs at him. However, at the last moment, Kor fires at rocket at her point blank. The blast throws both the fox and robot back while doing some damage to Sally, but none of it is noticable aside from the scorch marks. Doing a small damage assessment, she finds herself ok, but is then alerted to the damage readings beginning to spike from getting hit by the sentry. Using her new power, she moves around quickly so that the sentry can't effectively track her. She then closes in fast, using both swords to decapitate the sentry's guns and slice its inner circuitry.

Another missile warning grabs her attention and she darts out of the way. Tails tries to help by planting a device to short her out, but she elbows the kit away before blasting him with her head laser. He lands in a tree canopy but doesn't come out. Seeing Tails no longer a threat, she darts at Kor again, but this time he rocket jumps out of the way. "I saw what you did to my work, I ain't stupid!"

"Fair point, but you will still die." Mecha Sally stated before charging again.

All the while, the crew on the Death Egg notices that the Mobo-Cruiser was unguarded. "Sir, the vehicle is currently free to attack. All the heroes are either distracted or knocked out." Lien-Da stated.

"Oh ho ho ho! Target the vehicle and bring all missiles and lasers to bear!" Eggman shouted. Unfortunately, the radars can't seem to lock onto the vehicle despite it literally being a sitting duck, and the lasers miss as well due to this.

"Uncle Julian! T-The radars! They can't seem to lock on!" Snively told him. It seems before leaving, the heroes placed a jammer on the vehicle to prevent it from being targeted.

"Of all the rotten luck! Fine then!" Eggman grabbed the communications mic with both hands in anger. "Metal Sonic! Forget the hedgehog! Latch onto the vehicle and initiate self-destruct! Mecha Sally! Stop fooling around and slow down that hedgehog!"

"Self destruct?! You just rebuilt that thing!" Snively yelled in frustration.

Back on the ground, Sally closes in on Kor again who at this point spent all his rockets, forcing him to fire from his hand. Sally pins him to a tree with her arm. However, Kor manages to nail her in one of her eyes quite a few times. Angered, she prepares to stab his chest when she receives her orders. So instead, she impales him in the stomach with one of her swords and leaves it there, leaving him stuck to the tree.

Kor coughs out blood. "Ugh!...You just gonna leave me here?"

"Cease you whining. Be a good boy and I'll finish you later." Sally stated before flying off.

At the same time, Sonic notices Metal Sonic change course and head right for the Mobo-Cruiser. He attempts to give chase but is blocked by Sally. Getting a good look at her, the hedgehog can see all the doctor did to her. Instead of being in her usual outfit when she was first roboticized, she's covered in blue battle armor. Her hands are silver and look more menacing than they were before. In general, she looked much more threatening than when Sonic last saw her.

"Please Sal. Don't me have to fight you! I know you're in there somewhere! You gotta be! Do you want your brother to be killed?!" Sonic said desperately.

"Yes. It is the order of Dr. Eggman, and his word is my will. Trying to tell me otherwise will get you no where." Mecha Sally stated, unleashing her other sword.

"I was afraid of this..." He muttered. "Someone stop Metal from reaching the car!" Sonic shouted.

"I am on eet! None shall bring harm to ze royal family!" Antoine said as he finished dealing with the last Egg Swat. In his haste, he drops his blade as he hurries to catch the robot. He manages to catch Metal Sonic by his legs to slow him down, but it's not enough to stop him. "I could be uzing ze help right about now!"

"Don't worry 'Twan, I got ya!" Bunnie yelled, running up with the coyote's blade. She jumps on top of the robot and pins it to the ground. While Antoine tries to hold it hold as he can, Bunnie lifts the blade, poised to strike its head.

"Say g'night you scum!" Bunnie yelled as she plunged the sword deep into Metal Sonic's head.

The robot jolted and crackled with electricity before it violently explodes, with the two newly-weds at the center of it. Everyone besides Mecha Sally is stunned by what happened. When the smoke clears, both Antonie and Bunnie lie deathly still. No one is even sure if they're alive.

Eggman laughs with glee. "HAAAAAAAAAH HAH HAH HAH! After all this time, I've finally taken out not one, but _two_ freedom fighters! Mecha Sally, report back to base. We're done here." Eggman told his enforcer.

Snively was starting to get frustrated. "Wait, we're leaving?! B-But we have them on the ropes! We could-!"

"It's already good luck that we killed two of those pests instead of the former king, and I don't want to push my luck by going any further!" Eggman retorted. "Now get out of here for ruining the mood!"

Snively growled as he stormed out. "I've had it up to here with that buffoon making idiotic decisions! If I was in charge those heroes would be dead by now! Time to give that fat man a piece of my mind..." He muttered to himself.

Kor was struggling to pull the sword from his abdomen, constantly having to stop due to the pain. You'd think getting stabbed so much on his last job would make him tolerable of it, but nope. Getting shot is not the same as getting stabbed.

"First she breaks my arm, now she-argh!-fuckin' stabs me...I swear next time we meet I ain't gonna let her one up me..." The engineer muttered. He was halfway finished when Mecha Sally approached him. She walked away from Sonic while he was distracted.

"I heard you talking about our next encounter. I will keep that noted. Should you fail to impress, you die." Sally stated, easily yanking the sword from Kor, who screamed, before flying back to the Death Egg.

"I hate her...so...much..." The fox muttered, both hands on his wound. While he didn't see what happened to Bunnie and Antoine, he heard an explosion. Struggling to his feet, he staggered over to where he heard the noise, and was shocked like everyone else.

Amy was checking both of them for any signs of life, and thankfully she finds they still have a pulse. "They're alive, but barely..."

"What in Sam Hill happened to 'em?..." Kor asked.

"They...made sure Elias and his family could get away. Metal Sonic was after them, but they stopped it..." Sonic explained.

Kor sighed. "Alright...good..." He spat out more blood. "Take 'em back to New Mobotropolis and get 'em to Dr. Quack ASAP. The rest of us will finish this thing..."

"Kor you should go back too...you were impaled to a tree for Chaos' sake!" Amy told him.

"No Amy, I came prepare this time..." He dropped a toolbox next to him. "As far as I'm concerned, if Sal's gone then I don't think Eggman's gonna come back any time soon. We'll just rest here for a few minutes and I'll be good. Unlike Antoine and Bunnie, I got time, they don't..." He cast a sorrow look at them.

"...Right. I'll see you guys back at the city..." Sonic grabbed the two fallen heroes and sped as quick as he could back home.

"Their sacrifices won't be in vain...I hope they make a full recovery..." Elias said.

After sitting next to a level 3 dispenser for a few minutes, Kor's wound sealed itself shut. Soon they continued to the Feral Forest where they dropped off the royal family before quickly making their way back to town, mainly the hospital. After some emergency surgery, the rest of the heroes were shocked to learn both newly-weds were in a comatose state. Their bodies were bandaged up and laying on beds in the same room. Dr. Quack apoligized, saying there was nothing more he could do for them.

So for the rest of the day, the heroes spent their time trying to cope: Amy was off doing who knows what, Sonic was in his house strumming his guitar, reflecting on the times he picked on Antoine and now regretting it. Tails was at the airfield repairing the Tornado. Kor sent two Tarantulas to retrieve its wreckage and sent a third to the Feral Forest village to watch over the royal family should Eggman send something. As for the engineer himself, he was occupied with trying to draw up a new mobile sentry. He was going to need one that's a lot stronger to deal with Sally and other robots like her. He paced around, looking at spare parts for his sentry. Now, he may have listened to the council for the time being, but when you need to get lethal, he was willing to go that distance.

Kor's ear twitched when he heard the familiar sound of nanites configuring into a certain avatar. "I heard what happened...and I visited them in the hospital..."

"Yeah...I'm still wondering how Eggman even found out about our escort job..." Kor ccntinued to pace. "It wasn't no coincidence he found us out there and sent Metal Sonic _and_ Sally at us...I'm thinkin' someone tipped him off..."

"That's a possibility..." Nicole stated.

"Either way, I'm gonna call in a favor for 'em...hopefully Doc ain't too busy these days."

"Are you sure his medical equipment will work? I thought it was only programmed for you and your old friends..." Nicole asked, a little confused.

"A little rewirin' wouldn't hurt. Plus when Medic first tested the ubercharge he healed us quite easily when we didn't have our uber implants yet."

"I see...I hope it works..."

"It should. Despite how insane Klaus may seem, he's as much of a genius in the medical field as I am with machines." Kor chuckled.

"After what I saw when you had your eyes replaced, I'll believe that." An uneasy silence settled for a few moments. "Sonic was too upset to say anything about it, so I want to ask you this Kor: has Sally changed since you last saw her?...I don't remember you having a scar on your abdomen..."

Kor almost didn't want to answer that, unsure of how Nicole would take the news. He also didn't want to tell her he got stabbed in the stomach but she already figured that out. "Unfortunately yes...looks like Eggman gave her upgrades to turn her into a superweapon...she knocked some of us down rather easily. I held mah ground for a bit before she pinned and impaled me to a darn tree so she could deal with Sonic...she's definitely something not to be taken lightly now Nicole, and I'm afraid to say it, but if we aren't prepared to meet her head on next time she could kill all of us..."

Nicole closed her eyes as she processed this information. It seemed there was little trace of her best friend now, and the more they let this drag on the more harm it would bring to all involved besides Sally. "Then do it Kor...do whatever you need to do to bring her down. If it comes down to that you have to...end her..." She said with a tremble in her voice. "Then so be it...just...just make sure no one else gets hurt, or worse..."

Kor lifted her chin up with his organic hand so he could look her in the eyes. "I ain't goin' nowhere Nikki...I'll admit I've been a bit rusty lately, but I'm gonna step up mah game..." He then gave her a long peck on the lips.

Nicole started to blush but kissed him back, pulling away after a few minutes. "Thank you Kor." She smiled. "Unfortunately, this will be the last time I'll be in the city for a while..."

"What do you mean?" The engineer asked.

"I'm supposed to have a meeting with the Council very soon about whether I should be exiled...I estimate an 85% chance I will be cast out..." The A.I. said solemnly.

"Well...we both knew this would happen at some point...just keep a strong head alright? You practically run this city, so I doubt you'll be gone for long."

"Possibily...I have to go now. I'll see you at Freedom HQ." Nicole stated before disappearing.

Kor sighed. "Well, at least I was plannin' on movin' out anyways. Now where's that phone?..."

**A/N: Well, there's that drama for you, even thought I think I kinda suck at writing such scenes. So let's take a head count: Sally's gone, two of the Freedom Fighters are out of commission, and Rotor ain't exactly fit to be in the field. How can the heroes still work effectively as a team? Find out next chapter.**


	35. Adaptation Brings Reformation

**A/N: Time for chapter 35 people. As I hinted in the last one, we'll see how the heroes act as they begin to notice their numbers getting low. We'll also see what's been going on with the villains as of late.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie besides my OC.**

Nicole couldn't help but feel nervous as she stood in front of the council. She knew very well what they would say as most of the population had been pushing for her removal since the Iron Dominion fiasco. It was still hurtful and ironic in every sense: the very being who made a home for everyone when Eggman destroyed Knothole was about to be exiled from her own abode. But, she wouldn't show them any weakness. Nicole hoped that maybe with her gone, everyone's fears would subside and she might be allowed to return. Might be sooner though for two reasons: Eggman's Death Egg was out there, and there wasn't anyone who could run the city as effective as herself. As Kor pointed out, they might be 'begging' her to come back.

"Nicole the Lynx, Stewardess of New Mobotropolis, you have been called here today so we may decide the fate as to whether you may continue to live amongst us." Penelope stated.

"During the Iron Dominion's occupation, you came under the control of the Iron Queen herself and used to capture most of the city's inhabitants. While we do not blame you personally for that incident, many of the citizens have been scared stiff because of it. They fear that you might lose control again, which would put the city in danger once more. Do you agree?" Rosemary asked.

"Yes." Nicole answered with a straight face.

"And because of that, we feel it would be best if you were not in control of the city's mainframe for an uncertain amount of time. Sorry to say, but everyone thinks you are too dangerous and we believe you are a potential liability." Rosemary explained.

"To put it simply, you shall be exiled from this city. To keep everyone safe, you shall remain in Freedom HQ for an unclosed amount of time." Naugus explained. "All in favor?"

All of the council approved of this notion, except for one person.

"OBJECTION!" Rotor shouted.

"What is your reason Rotor?" Rosemary asked.

"In case you all forget, Nicole _built_ this city when Eggman destroyed Knothole! She's been a freedom fighter ever since we first found her, and despite what happened during the Iron Dominion, everyone should be willing to forgive her!" The walrus explained.

"I'm sorry Rotor, I really am, but it's what the people want..." Charles told him.

"Well if the people want to make decisions based off their overexaggerated fears, then I'm done making decisions for them..." Rotor said as he promptly got out of his seat and started to leave.

"Wait, Rotor! You don't need to-" Nicole started.

"Sorry Nicole, but I just can't believe the nerve of everyone..." The walrus said as he left the room.

"Well, that was rather amusing." Naugus said, earning a few glares from the council, which he ignored. "We'll make auditions for another council member in due time. As for you A.I., you are no longer needed here."

Nicole shot a glare at the wizard as the nanites that made up her hologram dispersed. Soon, she exited the city's mainframe entirely.

**-Kor's Hanger-**

"Come on Doc, pick up...you couldn't have gotten yerself into _that_ much trouble..." The fox said as he paced around the room. The endless drone of the ring tone was grating on his nerves by now.

"Eh, hello?" A german accent was heard on the line.

"Klaus! What took you so long to answer the damn phone?!" Kor said a little too irritably.

"Sorry sorry, I just got out of a meeting with ze commander. Turns out ze modified mediguns had some...unintended side effects."

"Like what?"

"Well, vhere do I start? Sudden seizures, heart failures, rapid blood loss, and amuzingly someone once had there wounds open up further." Klaus laughed.

"Ok, sorry I asked...look, I'm pretty sure yer boss told ya Eggman resurfaced recently right?" The engineer asked.

"Ah yes, zomething about zome egg-shaped flying fortress?"

"Yeah...look I'll explain it later but I need ya to come to New Mobotropolis quick. Antoine and Bunnie...they got messed up somethin' fierce on our last mission. They're lucky to be alive but their in comas now...think you can work your magic? At least to heal them better...Dr. Quack did all he could and we ain't got nothin' else left, and mah dispenser isn't strong enough to heal 'em..."

"I see...vell I vill see if I can stop by today. Ze commander von't let me out of his sight due to my miscalculations with ze civic mediguns, but ze one I used during our old days should work fine." Klaus explained.

"Alright...here's ta hopin'. See ya later Doc." Kor turned off the phone. "Well, at least that's some good news. Now for a new sentry..."

Kor mulled over some of his previous options when building the damn thing. Those restrictions imposed on him by the council had really screwed his ability to make his sentry as deadly as possible in the past. However, this time, he was going to have to build it without their knowledge. One thing he kept in mind was the use of treads over wheels. Treads make it easier to grip the ground, but then again the sentry probably couldn't move as quick compared to if it had been wheeled, something he didn't have the time to test in the past.

The engineer began to smirk as his brain was putting together an experiment. If wheels turned out to be better, they could be easily modified for several situations. Also if they turned out to be better, he'd be slapping himself over not doing it sooner. Kor grabbed some blueprints and made his way over to a teleporter that went to the HQ. Last thing he wanted to was to be disturbed by some eavesdropping soldiers.

**-Freedom HQ: Common Room-**

Sonic was lying on the couch, mulling over recent events. Normally the hedgehog wouldn't let a loss get to him, but with everything that happened, especially at how often it was occuring these days, Sonic almost felt like the time Eggman beat him into submission with his Egg Beater. What was there to not be sad about? Naugus had the crown, Antoine and Bunnie were in comas, and Sally...he still beats on himself just thinking about what happened to her. Maybe if he was fast enough he could've stopped her, or perhaps he should've realized the Egg Dome was the Death Egg in disguise. One thing he was certain about, was that it was too late to do much about it now. The Freedom Fighters had too few numbers at this point to be effective, so what was the point now?

Sonic's ears perked when he heard the front door opening. "Sonic? You in here?" It was Tails.

"On the couch..." He replied.

"You ok?" Sonic looked up and saw Amy was here too.

"No...I just don't what else to do guys...as much as I hate to admit it, Eggman and and Naugus have us beat...I don't think there's much else we can do..."

"Sonic, don't say such things! Even when the bad guys managed to score a win, you never gave up!" Amy retorted.

"Plus, you _taught_ everyone here how to fight! It's because of you that everyone became rallied and stepped up to fight people like Eggman. Many people look up to you, including myself of course." Tails added.

"They're right ya know." The trio looked up and saw Kor walking down the stairs with rolled up blueprint paper. "Eggman and Naugus may have won the battle, but this war is _far _from over Sonic. We still got a chance to win this. Hell, just a day ago we made the fatman retreat when he could've wiped us fer good. Yeah, things seem bad now, but after a little talk I had, I think we just need to change strategies."

"What do you mean Kor?" Sonic asked.

"He means, we'll need more help to tackle these new threats." Rotor said, coming out of a hallway.

"Ok, is everyone coming out of the shadows today?" The blue blur asked.

Rotor chuckled. "No, I was here for awhile, just needed to let off some steam. Anyway, as you may know already, the council exiled Nicole to the HQ...I wasn't going continue working with the council since they were willing to banish someone despite all the good they did for them, so I left. The only way I can do some actual good is by returning to active duty."

"You sure Rotor? What if yer back flares up again?" The engineer asked.

"Don't worry about it, I may still be reeling a little from the attack on Knothole, but I have something planned to compensate." The walrus replied.

"You see Sonic? You always have people you can count on to help you. We'll get through this, all of it. Now will you quit being so melanchaly?" Amy stated.

The hedgehog couldn't help but agree. As many times as he's kicked villianous butt all over the world, why should he let this bring him down? It was one of those 'rare' victories the bad guy gets, before the heroes utterly curbstomp them. Of course, it'll be difficult to defeat them, especially since Eggman and Naugus had the odds in their favor, but with his friends, the hedgehog believed things would turn out all right.

"You guys are right! So what if Robuttnik and Count Ugly won this one? We'll just bounce back at hit 'em hard! Sonic style!" The hedgehog jumped out of his seat, striking a heroic pose.

"Hope we didn't stroke his ego too much." Kor chuckled.

Amy lightly elbowed his chest. "Oh hush."

"So how are we gonna tackle Eggman and Naugus at the same time?" The blue hedgehog questioned.

"It's quite simple. We'll split into two groups: one will hunt down Eggman while the other will protect New Mobotropolis." Rotor stated.

"Well, I know what team I'll be on. I got a score to settle with the good doctor." Sonic smirked.

"I'm with Sonic." Tails said. "Also, T-Pup can handle communications between the two teams."

"I go wherever Sonic goes." Amy said with a flirtatious smirk, causing the blue hedgehog to sweat a little.

"And I'm guessing you'll be defending the city Kor?" Rotor asked.

"Actually, I'm gonna help hunt down that Egghead."

Everyone was a bit surprised. Given that Kor's combat style was more defensive oriented, they expected he'd be at home holding down the fort. However, they couldn't ignore the fact he was becoming more and more on the offense as this conflict dragged on.

"Now Sonic, Tails, Amy...I have faith in y'all prowess, but with so little numbers now, I fear y'all may get outgunned out there. So to level the playing feeling, I'm bringin' more guns to the table." The engineer smirked. "Also it be good to get out and see the world some. However, there's one thing I'm concerned with: I know I spent a great deal buildin' up the city's defenses, but they can't do everything, and neither can you Rotor."

"Don't worry about that. I'll start an audition to see whose willing to stand up and help, and I'm sure there are quite a few willing to become freedom fighters." The walrus explained.

"We still gotta pass through the council right?" Kor asked.

"Unfortunately yes..." The walrus replied.

"Well y'all get started. I got a new project to work on." The engineer said, motioning to his blueprints.

"If I had to guess, it's about a replacement sentry. Should I let the council know?"

"Heck no. No offense to you Rot, but the restrictions imposed on my sentry are part of the reason it was destroyed in combat. This project is gonna be officially off the record, so I don't want the council to be hearin' a peep about it." Kor explained.

Rotor nodded. "Alright. Come on guys, let's go. Hopefully they should agree, well except Naugus."

"Yeah but who cares what he thinks." Sonic said as they walked to the door.

Nicole monitored the whole conversation from within the lab's main computer. While she was happy the everyone else would be able to handle the issues at hand, she was a little sad that she would be unable to do anything. The exile imposed on her had stripped her of any sort of presense in New Mobotropolis, though technically there was no way the people or the council would be able to detect her presence if she was there illegally.

The A.I sighed to herself as she watched everyone go about their business. By now Kor was the only other person there, focusing hard on drawing up his new project. She supposed he could use her help again, at least to get it to come into fruition faster. However, the lynx was unaware that she would get a chance to make things right on a much bigger scale.

**-The Death Egg-**

It was late in the day. The ship had recently restocked and refueled at one of the many depots Eggman had built around the world, and everything was getting underway to resume normal operations. However, everything was suddenly put on hold as alarms began to blare all over the flying fortress.

"What in blazes is going on now?!" Eggman said as he rolled over to his desk computer.

However, he quickly found that he could not access his Eggnet. How in the world could someone block _him _out of his own network? Either someone from the outside managed to hack his system, or there was a traitor in his army. The latter wouldn't be too surprising. He pressed a button on the desk and a section of the wall opened up, revealing a yellow and black cube and a red and black sphere. Both shapes opened to reveal they were identically designed robots.

"Orbot! Cubot! Make yourselves useful and hack your way into my system! I need to found out whose trying to do me in this time." The doctor ordered.

"As you wish doctor. However, I wonder how someone as smart as you can't hack your own way in." Orbot stated.

"Did I really program you with that much sass?..." Eggman said, clearly annoyed.

"Actually yes."

"Remind me to remove that function..."

"Arr! Ye system be easy to crack! It will only take but a wee minute to crack." Cubot said in a pirate accent.

"And remind me to fix that idiot's voice chip. I never got around to doing it when I first built him..." The doctor said.

The two robots connected to the network wirelessly and began to remove the restrictions. Upon finding out who hacked the system, Cubot was rather surprised at what they found, but for Orbot, not so much. They disconnected once they made sure the doctor would have basic access. Knowing Eggman, he gets impatient very quickly.

"Sir, you may want to look at the data we found." Orbot said, printing out a piece of paper from his mouth.

Eggman snatched it from him before looking it over. "So, it seems that runt has finally made his move. I was wondering when he would finally grow a spine." He pressed the button for the communication system. "Attention all robots! Find that traitor Snively and bring him to me immediately!"

As for the short man himself, he ran down a corridor while Eggman was still trying to hack his way back in. "Blocking that fool out of the network should give me enough time to make my escape. Knowing him, he'll make some robot do it instead. Once I get out of this nuthouse, I'll find Hope, then work on finding my sweet Regina!" He gloated to himself.

Snively found an elevator and rode it down to a hanger. As he stepped out, he heard Eggman's command over the PA system. "Guess he figured it out quicker than I thought..."

He ran for the nearest aircraft and climbed in. Two Egg Swats approach him, ordering his surrender. Snively responds by blasting them both with a laser pistol he stole from the armory. After a quick startup, he jets out of the fortress. Only reason he wasn't fired at was due to him turning off the radars as well.

Eggman grumbled as he continued to fix the mess Snively left behind. Orbot and Cubot had once again reconnected to the network, but the sphere robot found something interesting. "Sorry to bother you sir, but it appears the rest of the Dark Egg Legion may think you are deceased."

"Wait, what?! What makes you say that foolish statement?!"

"I'm uploading it to you now sir." Orbot stated.

Eggman looked over the message that was sent out to the other DEL chapters. It seems the short man sent a message claiming that Eggman was dead and the Dark Egg Legion was officially disbanded. At that moment, several video feeds appeared on his screen, each of them containing a robot who believes it captured Snively. However, the doctor saw through the trick immediately, especially when the 'Snivelys' self-destructed, killing their captors.

"I'll admit, Snively has gotten quite a head start on our game of chess. But once I have my sources back in order, things will go _my _way." Eggman grinned evilly.

A few minutes later he had everything restored. Then, a little after that, he summoned the leaders of all the Dark Egg Legion chapters around the globe into a meeting room via teleportation, including Lien-Da who was just down the hall. Just about all of them were upset because not only was Eggman still alive, they were in the middle of their own personal agendas: Bill Platypus was writing a letter for peace in Downunda, Conquering Storm was about to slay a thief, and Beauregard was chatting with Matilda for examples.

"Welcome to the Death Egg my fellow underlings! I'm here to inform you that, despite the false message you received earlier, I am still _very much alive_!" He grinned. "Also, the reason I called you all here is to make sure you're all on track and not slacking off!"

"I already gave you my arms and my allegience! You ought to show me some respect, especially now that I've got these killer cybernetics!" Drago protested, getting out of his seat.

"You mean the ones that will_ explode_ if I give a simple voice command?" Eggman retorted, quite amused.

"Yeah! Those...I...wait, what?" The wolf said after realizing he was literally a walking bomb.

"**Sit. Down.**" Eggman ordered. The wolf complied, grumbling something no one quite caught.

"Now then, as I was saying before being _rudely _interrupted," the doctor glared at Drago, "your primary objective is to find the blue chaos emerald. It went missing after Sonic once again managed to throw a wrench into my plans. The chapter to find and deliver the gem to me will be greatly rewarded! The quicker it's found, the greater my generosity will be. Try to keep it, and your punishment shall be _legendary_." He finished with an evil smirk. "You are to also be on the lookout for Snively. The runt decided to jump ship, and he could be anywhere by now. You're all dismissed." With that, all the grandmasters were teleported back to their locations, except Lien-Da. She just walked out the room.

With that settled, Eggman headed to the main hanger with Orbot and Cubot in tow.

"Dr. Eggman, I'd like to inform you that our tracking devices are still operational, and it appears Snively is heading towards Central City." Orbot stated.

"Hmm, I wonder if Snively forgot to disable those or he's baiting me into a trap. Either way, when we catch up to him, the game will becoming _interesting_." He grinned. The trio then boarded a very large aircraft called the Egg 'Stache Flyer, the ship in question looking just like the doctor's infamous facial hair. The ship exited the fortress, ready to begin the game of cat and mouse.

**A/N: Welp, that's 35 for you all. I would make it longer, but decided to use the rest I write in the next chapter. I hope y'all enjoyed reading this one, and Happy New Year.**


	36. Here Come The Heroes

**A/N: Here comes 36 people. The heroes are getting ready to get back on the field. At the moment, Eggman is still chasing Snively around the world, but we're not gonna focus on them much today. Instead, we'll see how Team Fighters' first mission goes.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Sega and Archie except my OC.**

The last few days had been rather eventful for the heroes. The proposal to disband the Freedom Fighters to make two groups was approved unanimously by the council. As expected, Naugus was the only one who didn't approve of it as he still believed he alone could protect the city. The group to hunt Eggman was dubbed Team Fighters, while the protectors of New Mobotropolis will be called Team Freedom. Unfortunately, the auditions bore little fruit, only attracting a small amount of attention. Still, Big, Cream, and Cheese were up for the task (the latter two having to ask Vanilla for permission). Despite their small numbers, Team Freedom also had the Tarantulas for extra support, and since Rotor was the leader, he was in charge of controlling the city's nanites. He didn't have to worry about the sentries on the walls as Kor built automatic dispensers next to each one.

For Team Fighters, Sonic was the de facto leader with Amy, Tails, and T-Pup being support in their own way, but it decided that Kor would be the main strategist for the group, a role Sally had before her unfortunate roboticization. Their first order of business was to find out where the Death Egg was headed before they made their move, but so far had no luck. The Tornado would be their main mode for transport, so Kor had to figure out how to make his sentry a carry-on, or at least make it fly (the latter seemed unlikely).

With Bunnie and Antoine, Klaus stopped by and put his medigun to work on them. He managed to heal just about whatever physical injuries they had, and about a day later they had awoken. Everyone greatly appreciated Klaus for his help, and even asked if he wanted to join them. However he had to decline as he still had his own mess to fix. After their near-death experience, the married couple decided it would be best to retire from active duty. They didn't want to stay in New Mobotropolis due to Naugus, so the two decided to go and see the world, maybe send a postcard from time to time. Wherever they would go, everyone hoped they'd be safe.

As for Kor, he made good progress on his sentry. To save time, he enlisted the help of Tails, Rotor, and of course, Nicole. Wheels turned out to be a good replacement over treads, especially when equipped with independent suspension, so he put 8 wheels on the machine. This allowed for good drive control as well as allowing the sentry to travel as fast as 90mph even on a full payload. The body of the sentry was finished as well as its armament, but the hardest part was getting some decent armor for it. When no one else had any ideas, Kor decided to pay Soldier a visit. The army general had hooked him up with applique, explosive-reactive plates, and cage armor, to which the fox paid a hefty amount for. When asked if it was necessary, Kor said it would if Eggman 'decided to throw a tank at us'. Also he wanted it to be thick so Mecha Sally wouldn't be able to slice it up so easily.

The sentry's weapons consisted of twin 30mm chain guns mounted on a tower centered on the chassis with 2 missile silos at the top on each side. These components were also armored. However, this wasn't the only weapons it had. Kor decided to finally get the old 30mm cannon the Hornet used out of retirement (it sat in the hanger for some time). It was hidden in the forward section of the sentry and would be used in case the need for heavier firepower was necessary.

Courtesy of Nicole, this vehicle was fully sentient, but there was still the issue for storage if Team Fighters needed to cross open water. To answer this problem, the A.I. injected a large amount of nanites into its systems, allowing it to break down into a small cube when the engineer commands it to do so with his cybernetics. She did the same favor for Rotor when she helped him construct his battle suit. However, the sentry was still incomplete, so Kor told the Fighters to go on without him if Eggman made his move before he was finished.

**-The Death Egg-**

Eggman laughed to himself as he headed for the main control room. The past two days had been rather enjoyable for him. Snively managed to find Regina and, after some convincing (which included breaking her out of her cell with an old robot called the Iron Oni), put up a good fight against the doctor's Egg Beater Mk II. Eggman had to admit, Snively was at his best out there, yet it made it even more fun considering the short man still lost. To make sure Regina and Snively won't be bothering him for a while, he allowed Regina to lead part of the Dark Legion somewhere in United Federation territory with an infiltrator copy of Snively (which she has yet to find out). The real Snively is sitting in an Egg Prison pod somewhere deep within the Death Egg, whose location only Eggman knew of. As an added bonus, he got to mess with Monkey Khan and terrorize a village.

The mad genius stepped into the command center with a wide grin. "Attention everyone, commander on deck! Set a course for the city known as Furville! It's time I show all those nitwits whose in charge now. Once we get there, round up all of its citizens for roboticization and legionizing!"

Orbot bounced up to the doctor. "Wouldn't it be easier to just roboticize them? At least that way you could have an actual robot labor force to work with."

"It would, but after investigating the effects of the Genesis wave, only half of the world's population is susceptible to roboticization. Those that aren't will be simply legionized. Either way, it's a win-win for me." Eggman explained.

"Aaah I see. Hey, can I go for an oil can break now?" Cubot asked.

"You had an oil change to minutes ago. Plus we don't have mouths." The sphere robot told his companion.

"I know, but it tastes soooo good." Cubot replied, pulling an oil can out of nowhere and tries to drink it, spilling the contents on himself and the floor. Eggman just shook his head in annoyance.

**-The Great Wastes-**

The area known as the Great Wastes was where Knothole used to be before it was razed to the ground. Building materials and dead trees lie scattered about the landscape, and you couldn't tell where one used to live unless you had good memory. A series of explosions shattered the eerie silence as several trees were blown to splinters and a couple missiles created new craters. A large, armored vehicle could be seen scanning the area, one of its sights rotating around while its twin chain guns were smoking from expending ammunition. Its owner watched from close by.

"Woo-wee! That there's a fine piece of work. I'd say after a few more tweaks, you should be good." Kor said as he assessed the damage. While it might have been doing Knothole some disrespect since it was the place everyone used to live, it sure made a decent firing range now.

The sentry rotated in place and drove back to the HQ. Being powered by the 6 chaos drives Kor asked Klaus to bring with him pretty much negated the need for fuel, and it's what made the sentry fast despite being heavy. Once at the HQ, the engineer opened an inner compartment to work on the gun cooling system. The chainguns tend to overheat a little too easily and the sentry had a fail-safe to stop firing when this happened so the guns wouldn't melt under their own heat. He ran through the data in his PDA before tweaking the system so it would now cool the cannons while it fired its ammunition.

"Almost done Kor?" Nicole asked as she leaned on a window sill.

"Yeah, just need a few slight fixes and testin' and this thing'll be ready to take on the world. Heard any word from the others lately?" The engineer chuckled.

"No. Although I still wish I didn't have to be exiled...I just don't want to feel useless by sitting here..." The A.I. stated, her ears drooping on her head.

"Yer not useless dear. Besides, you, Tails, and Rotor helped me build this, and you gave me a way to package this monster." Kor assured her.

"How is it that someone like you went from making small time defense cannons to making giant behemoths of weapons?" Nicole chuckled.

"Well, to be frank I don't know. Maybe I just had to adapt." He smirked at her, making Nicole give a smirk of her own.

"Your charisma is one of the reasons I became infatuated with you."

"Charisma? I ain't sure about that. I mean, Sonic is literally crawling with it given the size of his fan base."

"True, but even before we became closer I found something under all the violence and insanity you have, and despite what others think of you, I know you're a kind and caring person, to both people and machines." She gave a sincere smile.

"Yer makin' me blush Nikki..." The fox gave a sweet smile.

Nicole then got a message from Rotor. After scanning it internally, she saw it was urgent. "Kor, Rotor has detected the Death Egg heading towards Furville. Team Fighters is already getting prepared to launch."

Kor's face grew serious. "Alright. I'm almost done makin' modifications for this sentry. I already told them to go on without me if I wasn't finished."

"Alright, I'll let Rotor know." She said before walking inside.

Kor resumed working before he realized something. "Wait, where's Furville?" He called out.

"It's a large metropolitan city located near the center of the continent! I'll give you directions before you leave!" The A.I. yelled back.

**-With the rest of the Fighters-**

Sonic, Amy, and T-Pup were riding on the wings of the Tornado as it headed for their destination.

"Was wondering when Eggman would come out of the woods. He must be really confident to attack a large city." Tails said thoughtfully.

"How many people are in Furville anyway?" Amy asked.

"Last I remember, a lot." Sonic replied. "If I had to guess, Eggman is probably invading it to capture all those people, build a base, etc."

"Figures...I'm guessing Kor wasn't done with his 'project'?" Amy said with a little annoyance.

"No, but he said he was very close to finishing. Hopefully he'll join us while we're there." Tails explained.

"Well, he might be mad if we finish the party before he gets here, there's the city now." Sonic smirked.

Furville was perhaps the second largest city in the Republic of Acorn territory, and Sonic wasn't joking when he said it had a large population. However, just about everyone there was unaware that Eggman replaced the original Robotnik as the city hadn't come under attack in the last year or two. When the Death Egg arrived, it was a horrific wake-up call. Citizens screamed and panicked as battalion of Egg Swats led by Mecha Sally entered the city. Once there, they began to round up any civilians in sight while making a general mess of the area.

Sonic jumped from the biplane and immediately tore into two robots that were taking a mother and her child towards an Egg Prison pod. "You two alright?"

"Oh yes Sonic! Thank you, thank you!" The mother said gratefully.

"You two find a place safe to hide. Team Fighters will take care of this!" The hedgehog stated before zooming off toward some Egg Swats that noticed him.

Amy used the momentum from her fall to smash a bot's body in to the point it looked like it had been crushed by a car compactor. More robots approached her, but she batted the crushed robot's corpse at them. This caused a domino effect that took them down quite easily. Amy then saw an Egg Prison that had some civilians in it. Luckily, it was unguarded.

"Don't worry! I'll get you guys out!" Amy said, preparing to smash the pod open.

Tails circled around from above, attacking robots and any opportunity with the Tornado's missiles. He didn't see any sign of Sally, which he was thankful for because he didn't want to have to face her again so soon. Mecha Sally watched as Sonic tore into more robots. At this rate, he'll destroy a most of the ground forces and the mission would fail. She wasn't about to let her master be disappointed. Activating her jet boots, she took to the air before firing a beam of energy at the hedgehog. Sonic was caught by surprise from the attack and skidded backwards, glaring at Sally.

"I hate to do this Sal, but we got a city to save!" The hedgehog stated, curling into a ball before launching himself at her.

Sally dodged the attack before shooting another laser at him, which the hedgehog avoided. He looped around and made another run at her, but she blocked it with her swords. "Amy! Tails! Keep the other bots busy! I'm dealing with Sal here!"

**-Freedom HQ-**

While the rest of the fighters were on their way to Furville, Kor worked as quickly as he could to make sure his sentry was ready for combat. After he thoroughly checked everything, he was sure it was 'ready for anything'. Picking up his usual work goggles, he strapped them to his head along with a vest that contained several tools, including those from his usual utility belt. He then slung a futuristic-looking shotgun that his mercenary friends would know as 'the Widowmaker'.

"Been a long time since I used this thing. Hopefully it still functions like it should..." The engineer muttered to himself as he inspected the gun.

"You almost look like your old self from a few months ago, minus the hat and vest." Nicole stated.

Kor chuckled. "Yeah. This tool vest is actually somewhat thick so it should offer some protection, and I don't think I'll need a hat...for now..." He muttered the last part. For some reason he couldn't really explain, he and the rest of the mercs really, really liked hats. "Anyway, I'm gonna go catch up with them. I don't know how long we'll be gone, but hopefully not _too _long."

"I understand. But before you go..." Nicole walked up to him, rested her hands on his shoulders and gave him a long kiss on the lips. Kor kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She parted after a minute. "Come back safe ok?..."

"I will. Actually, I should say 'we will'." He smiled at her.

Not a minute too soon, the engineer hoped onto his sentry and told it to head for Furville. The machine drove as fast as it could toward the city, ready to give Eggman's forces a date with death. Nicole watched as her lover rode off into the distance, greatly hoping this wouldn't be the last time she would see him. She knew by now both teams would be busy with their particular agendas, but it still bothered her she was unable to do much from her position. Feeling a little tired, the nanites that made up her physical form dispersed as she went back into the lab's computer.

**-Back to Furville-**

Roughly 30 minutes had passed and the fight was still going on. The Death Egg continued to pump out robots like gas at a fuel station while Team Fighters were doing everything they could to keep the invasion at bay. Their heroic actions were even causing some of the civilians to rise up and defend their city. They were using anything they could get their hands on to beat the robots, which wasn't that hard since their armor was somewhat weak. However, more and more civilians were being captured and Amy could only do so much. Sonic was still keeping Sally busy.

The hammering heroine was forced to take cover once more as a barrage of laser fire came in her direction. They were guarding another egg prison as more Egg Swats were capturing civilians. Tails would bomb their position, but it was too risky. Either Eggman better run out of resources soon or this'll be another problem for the heroes. Amy was getting frustrated with being stuck behind a corner while the robots rounded up more innocents. She pulled the same trick from before but there was too many of them for it to be effective.

Suddenly, the gunfire got louder, and Amy was sure more robots had joined the fight. However, what confused her was that as soon as it started, it stopped. Cautiously poking around the corner, the pink hedgehog was surprised to find all of the robots lying on ground full of holes. She was even more surprised to find what caused the damage. A large vehicle that looked armed to the teeth was looking around. Amy jumped back, hoping it didn't see her. The vehicle drove off, and that's when she saw Kor struggling to open the egg prison.

"Kor! You made it!" Amy said as she practically glomped the poor engineer.

"Ah! Oh hey Amy, didn't see ya there." Kor responded shakily. For a 12 year old, she had a vice-like grip.

"I was stuck behind a corner as there were too many robots here. I was trying to figure out what to do before they were destroyed by some giant machine with guns." Amy explained, which caused the engineer to chuckle.

"Yeah, that was mah new roaming sentry doin' its work, and from the looks of it, its workin' hard." The fox said, looking at the casualties it racked up. "Anyway, what's the situation?"

"Sonic is busy fighting Sally and Tails is up above giving air support. Some of the people are also fighting for their city."

"Alright. I'll handle the robots, you stop them from capturing anymore people." Kor told her.

"Right."

The two worked together for the next few minutes freeing captured civilians while destroying the invasion force. The sentry drove around the town, destroying whatever enemies it came across. The robots fired back at it but they simply did no damage thanks to the vehicle's armor. Tails noticed it below him and notified Sonic that Kor had arrived.

On the Death Egg, Eggman was getting frustrated that his plan wasn't going well. It didn't help that Orbot kept reminding him that their supplies were running low again. He hoped he could keep sending as many robots as possible to exhaust the heroes.

"Sir, our fuel state is getting dangerously low. The nearest base to our current location is in Shazamazon." The sphere robot stated.

"Curse those pests! They're even more persistent than usual!" He grabbed the communications microphone and screamed into it. "Mecha Sally! Fall back to the Death Egg! I'm leaving some robots to slow Sonic as we retreat!"

Unfortunately for the doctor, his loud mouth was overheard by Sonic, who was still locked in a duel with the roboticized chipmunk. As Sally egressed, the blue blur went to find his team. He noticed some Egg Swats were still around, so they'd have to deal with those quick so they can move on. He found Amy and Kor seconds later as they noticed the Death Egg was leaving.

"Guys! We gotta bust these bots quick. I overheard Egghead on Sal's radio that they're going toward another base." He ordered.

"Not a problem son. Mah sentry is still kickin' it out there." Kor boasted.

"How so?" The blue blur asked. They soon heard an explosion with several robot parts falling from the air afterwards. The trio saw the turret roll down a street, guns blazing with a few civilians cheering for it. "Well that solves that. Let's a make a sweep to make sure that's the last of them." The hedgehog ordered.

Tails was circling overhead in the Tornado as surveyed the area. The fighting had ceased, and despite the damage caused during the conflict, much of the city was still intact. He leveled out before landing in a field just outside the town. The kit spun his namesakes before making his way into the city. It didn't take long to spot them as Sonic was talking with a group of people.

"Is everyone gonna be alright?" The blue hedgehog asked.

"Yes Sonic. W-We thought that Robotnik had been killed some time ago!" Someone who turned out to be the mayor told him.

"Well, he was for awhile...but he arose again." Sonic looked back and noticed Tails joined them. "Sorry to cut the visit short, but we gotta catch up to Eggman before he causes even more trouble. If you need anything, you can always count on Team Fighters to lend a hand!" He gave his trademark smirk before joining the others.

"So where are we headed next Sonic?" Tails asked.

"From what Eggman was screaming over Sal's radio, they're heading for a place called Shazamazon."

"Where is that?" Kor asked.

"It's in Soumerca. It's also close to the borders of the Wolf Pack Nation and Mysterious Cat Country." Tails explained.

"Alright, remind me to get a world map. From what you said though, it sounds like South America back in my world." The engineer said thoughtfully.

"Either way, we got a Death Egg to follow." Sonic smirked. "Let's get to the Tornado and follow 'em."

"Right!" The others replied.

As they got to the biplane, Kor whistled for his sentry. The roaming turret drove up to them before the engineer issued a command with his cybernetic paw. The others watched in amazement as the sentry literally disintegrated from top to bottom, its components flowing through the air until the made a large cube in the engineer's hand.

Kor smirked at the others. "Courtesy of mah boo." He said as he stored the turret.

**-Great Wastes-**

A few hours after Kor left, Mina sped through the dead landscape to Freedom HQ. A determined, yet uneasy look was plastered on her face. That argument she had with Sally, Sonic, and Kor over Nicole was still fresh in her mind. On the first day after their 'debate', she initially didn't think much of it, but as time went on she saw for herself how the general populace really felt. On one particular night, she was on a date with Ash as they dined as a fancy eatery, and it seemed Sonic and Sally were planning to do the same. Unfortunately, their waiter asked what they would do about Nicole as he thought she was evil. Pretty soon most of the restaurant erupted into a flame war over whether Nicole was a hero or a villain.

In order to raise spirits, she attempted to host an unscheduled mid-day concert, but Geoffrey and Naugus ruined that outing. Granted, Mina wanted her song to be heard by the masses and the heroes where she hoped she could inspire them to work harder for a better future, but all it did was spread more unnecessary fear. And to add insult to injury, many still placed blame on Nicole to the point some thought she was the sole reason the Iron Dominion was able to invade. With her guilt mounting, Mina nearly broke into tears when she found out Nicole had been exiled. Some were just happy she was gone while others thought she needed to be 'taken offline' so to speak.

The mongoose was broken from her thoughts when she realized she was about to slam into the front door. Seeing it was unlocked, she cautiously opened it. "Hello? Is anyone here?" She called out.

After not getting a response, she was sort of glad for that. No doubt the Freedom Fighters didn't want to speak with her, though she was actually a little glad Kor wasn't around. From the look he gave her that night, and if he saw her now out of all times, saying he'd do something 'unpleasant' would be putting it mildly. Mina nervously to the lab and walked to the computer. To Mina, it seemed plausible she'd be there.

"Um, Nicole? You have a moment to talk?"

Nicole was on standby for the time being and was jarred from her sleep by a voice. Rubbing her eyes groggily, she saw that Mina was there. Nicole sighed as she wasn't in the mood to speak with her, but given the look on her face, she might as well hear her out. Activating a keypad, she typed onto the monitor.

_Yes...what is it that you want?..._

"Nicole, I ask of you to please come back to New Mobotropolis...everyone else may think they're safe under King Naugus, but I know he's nothing but an evil tyrant!" Mina explained.

Nicole was rather surprised that _Mina_ of all people would ask for her return. Well, there was that 'begging you to come back' instance her boyfriend talked about some time ago. Still, Nicole wanted her to clarify.

_Why should I return?...Here, I am not a danger to anyone just as they aren't to me, so as far as I'm concerned you got _exactly_ what you wanted..._

"But this isn't what I wanted! I didn't want things to turn out like this!" Mina practically screamed. She settled down after a moment. "...All I wanted was to help inspire people to build a better future for themselves...I never wanted fear to overtake the city, let alone cause the public to exile you...I'm so sorry for everything I did Nicole...I didn't realize what I did until was too late, but I hope I can make it up to you...somehow..." Mina told her.

Nicole was at a loss for words. So much that she didn't know how to reply through text. Since she wasn't responding, Mina began to leave.

"Mina wait..."

The songoose was startled and turned around, seeing Nicole in her physical form. "After thinking over what you said...I forgive you...but even if I wanted to go back to the city, no one else will see me in the same light. Also I'm still exiled..."

"I'll figure something out...wait, I got it! If people began to fear you after that concert, maybe I can host one to sway public opinion back in your favor!"

"Do you think that will work?" The A.I. asked.

"It should. I have a very large fan base, and my songs have always been inspirational." Mina looked at the floor. "I'm just not sure what the Freedom Fighters will think of it. They've shunned me ever since that night..."

"Well, if you are willing to do what you said, they should forgive you too. Even Kor." Nicole smiled.

"Speaking of which...where are Sonic and Kor? I haven't seen them anywhere lately."

"Both of them along with Amy and Tails are out chasing down Eggman. Kor left to catch up with them just recently. I'm not sure when they'll return though...I know Team Fighters and Team Freedom are both strong enough to handle themselves, but I wish I was able to lend a helping hand. Growing up with them, it just doesn't feel right to sit here and do nothing..."

"I'm sure you'll get your chance Nicole. You'll see." Mina replied with a smile.

"Indeed she will." A new voice said.

Both the mongoose and lynx turned to see a somewhat old mobian brown owl dressed in a red robe standing at the door. He was also holding what looked to be a walking stick.

"Um, who are you?" Mina asked.

"Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Mr. Who, and I am here to request the help Ms. Nicole." The owl replied.

"What do you need help with?" The A.I. asked, a little unsure.

"A certain 'project' of mine." Harvey told them.

**A/N: Time to stop for now. Now to explain a few things.**

**1\. The way the new sentry is built makes it look like a wheeled version of the BMPT-72, an AFV from Russia. Also, the way the sentry can change from combat ready to a cube is much like how Galvatron from the 4th live-action Transformers could change shape.**

**2\. For those that play TF2, you should be familiar with the Widowmaker shotgun. For those that aren't, it's a shotgun that uses the engineer's metal supply as ammo an it doesn't require a reload. It uses 30 metal per shot, but grants back metal for the amount of damage you deal to someone. In-game, I don't use it since I'd prefer to keep my metal supply free for building stuff, but for Kor he'll practically get metal back every time he hits someone with it. The vest he's wearing that was mentioned earlier is also a modified version of the 'Tools of the Trade' cosmetic for the engineer.**

**3\. I thought about adding in how Eggman beat Snively at his own game, but it gave me writer's block trying write that out and I didn't feel like having to put all of that in, so a short summary would have to do.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading this one. Next time, Team Fighters will be in Soumerca, and what exactly is this project Harvey Who needs help with?**


	37. Chasing the Eggman

**A/N: Hello everyone, bet you thought this story was done for didn't you? After a few months of being busy with college, and having lost interest in the writing for this one, I've finally decided to do what I should've done before: update both stories at once. That's right! I'm fucking going all out on this! (though admittingly it will be slightly difficult considering the two different continuities. But, I will have this one shipped out ASAP since you guys have been asking me about it.**

**Anyway, last chapter, Team Fighters succeeded in halting Eggman's forces in Furville to the point the doctor was forced to withdraw due to running low on ammunition. The heroes are currently in pursuit, but back home, things aren't exactly quiet. **

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Sega and Archie except my OC and it's affiliates.**

After sneaking her way back into the city's mainframe, Nicole met up with Harvey Who as he was walking through an underground tunnel. The A.I. felt nervous about being back inside the one place she used to call home. If anyone saw her, who knows what'll happen. It could range from taking more security measures to keep her out at best and 'pulling the plug' on her at worst. As such, Nicole hoped whatever Harvey had planned was for the good of the city.

"I know you must be feeling nervous about being back home, but I can assure you that no one will find you here. After all, it was you who made this base during the Iron Dominion's occupation did you not?" The owl asked.

"Yes, though it's still something I don't want to recall..."

"Rest assured, if everything goes as planned, the people will look to you as a hero, not a villain."

"Do you think it'll be that easy? I practically traumatized everyone, and it didn't help when Mina accidentally made things worse..." Nicole stared at the ground, ears flattening on her head. They reached a larger section of the base, which looked vaguely similar to that of Freedom HQ.

Harvey chuckled. "Trust me, it will be a very simple process." Both heard a chuckle coming from the base's lab. Charles poked his head out.

"_Simple_? If anything, you like making things complicated Harvey. With Nicole illegally in the city, you betraying King Naugus, and me rebuilding the original Metal Sonic, how exactly is all of this simple?"

_"A Metal Sonic?"_ Nicole thought.

"Oh you know in the end it works out. How has your progress been on him?" Harvey asked.

Chuck sighed in frustration. "Well, saying it's difficult would be putting it mildly. All I have for parts are the scraps from Metal Scourge and Metal Sonic Troopers, and it especially doesn't help when every time I put these parts his gem doesn't want to cooperate."

"Either way, you're doing a great job gramps." The Sonic robot stated.

Nicole walked into the lab and got a good look at him. Although the Metal Sonic was still being assembled, as it was just a head and torso, it had a new appearance from previous versions. Instead of being painted blue like Sonic, this one was painted black with gold outlines. Also, unlike the other Metals created by Eggman, this one bore a power gem in its center. Aside from that, it looked vaguely similar to Metal Sonic v2.5.

"Thanks Shard, though sometimes I still question why I should have rebuilt you. Need I remind you, you attempted to kill my nephew more than once?"

"Aw come on, I said I regret it and I still do. Plus, I sacrificed myself so Sonic and Tails could escape that volcano...and it was Sonic who taught me what it truly means to be alive. Besides, you sort of owe me since it was my core-data that let you build all those Metal Sonic Troopers." Shard paused. "Wait...was that supposed to be a secret?"

Chuck slapped his forehead. "I should've installed your head last..."

"Remember Charles, you willingly agreed to help when I first brought it up to you." Harvey inquired.

"True...it does remind of the days I worked with the Robotropolis Spy Network and your old Secret Intelligence Division, while I was still roboticized...but you DO know how much trouble we'll be in if we're caught right?" Chuck reminded.

"It's simple my friend. We will do with Naugus what was did with Robotnik: avoid being discovered. Once Shard is rebuilt, that'll bring our roster up to two, the other being Silver."

"Sorry to interrupt, but why am I here again?" Nicole asked, genuinely confused.

Harvey dawned a stoic expression. "Shortly before the _rightful_ heir to the throne was evacuated along with his family, he asked me to put together a team to take back control of our city from Naugus _without_ doing anything that would directly oppose the will of the people. At first I was hesitant, but Elias was more than determined to protect the city, even from itself."

"I see...you also mentioned Silver. Why is he here?" The A.I. asked.

The owl smiled. "Silver is still looking to stop a great evil that would bring the downfall of the Freedom Fighters. I convinced him to join as it would help him deduce who exactly is the cause of it, and we need someone who knows how to manipulate the environment at will. As such, our team's secondary mission is to find out who it is that Silver claims as, _The Traitor. _The reason I brought you in Nicole is obvious. I know you've wanted to be of help in some way instead of being locked in Freedom HQ until the citizens come to their senses, so you were the best candidate to be able to pass important information to the team."

"That, does make sense I guess. I just hope no one notices I'm in the system. However, no one else besides Kor, Rotor, and Tails would bother to-" She paused as she got an incoming message. "Oh, sorry. Mr. Harvey, Lupe of the Wolfpack sent you a message that she's sending two recruits."

"You contacted Lupe? I thought you were just searching through New Mobotropolis." Chuck stated in surprise.

"I have, though not everyone in the city is capable of being on the team. They are either busy with something else to be tied up or just don't have that special talent I'm looking for. So I took the liberty of looking over all of the Freedom Fighters on the planet. As of now, our team has 5 field members, but we'll need something else...someone that brings a level of unpredictability to the team..." Harvey rubbed his chin in thought.

At that moment, everyone's eyes went wide as they heard a scream coming down a shoot that leads to the surface. The screams got louder until a figure landed on a pile of hay. The person in question was a lynx with a domestic cat-like appearance, who groaned as he was still disoriented from the fall. Chuck quickly told Nicole to disappear while he grabbed a large sheet.

"Hey wait what are you-" Shard's voice got muffled as the sheet covered him entirely.

"Just keep your mouth shut for 5 minutes." Chuck whispered.

The lynx shook the hay from his head and looked around. "Oh just my luck. I can't even walk around the city without falling into some random manhole, though I expected the sewer to be more dirty..." He finally spotted Chuck and Harvey. "Uncle Chuck? What are you doing here? What is this place?" The lynx asked nervously.

"N-Now Larry, just take a deep breath son. To be honest, you weren't supposed to be down here..."

As Chuck tried to explain everything to Larry, Harvey was intrigued. Larry Lynx was known to be the local 'super jinx' as people dubbed him. Bad luck follows him like flies to a horse behind, which can actually work as a random number generator. It will either bring harm to himself and his friends, or their enemies. Yet despite the lack of good luck, Larry has been noted to have good leadership skills, which allowed him to become the head of the Substitute Freedom Fighters. Unfortunately when the team disbanded, he was left without a purpose, his horrid luck followed him all the same, much to the dismay of the general populace. Perhaps, this was _exactly_ who the team needed.

The owl butt in before Charles could continue making excuses. "Larry, I have a question to ask of you. How would you like to make the city safe again?"

The lynx looked at his feet. "I...I don't think everyone else will trust me to help, given my bad luck and all..."

The owl chuckled. "Well then, let's say it'll be our little secret."

**-With Team Fighters: a few hours earlier-**

After hours of flying south, the heroes reach Soumerca. The sun had already set, giving way to a full moon that gave some light to the dark landscape. They managed bypass the Death Egg, hoping to warn both the Wolf Pack Nation and the Mysterious Cat Country of Dr. Eggman's impending arrival.

"So how did you and Sally manage to get these two nations to form a truce? I get the Wolf Pack since Lupe is a friend of yours, but the Felidae seem _very_ territorial from what you're tellin' me." Kor said to Sonic.

"Trust me, it was..." Sonic groaned, remembering the situation all too well. "Long story short, we managed to get them to realize the Dark Egg Legion were the right people to fight than each other."

"And you said _Big_ used to live here?" The fox replied.

"Yep. Hard to believe huh?"

"In all honesty, I thought he used to live on an island in the Pacific."

Tails flew the plane around until he found a nice spot to land. "Alright guys, we're going in!"

"Sweet! We'll ask Lupe to help us out, then we'll waltz over to the Felidae and ask ol' Queen Hathor for the same, if she's not too mad at us from last time." The Blue Blur stated, hoping off the wing.

"_If_ we can get them to agree with each other." Tails noted. T-Pup popped out and followed its master.

"Sounds like a plan, though I ain't exactly 'comfortable' walkin' through the jungle..." The engineer replied, getting out of his seat.

"Why is that?" Amy asked.

"First, jungles are very thick, so my new sentry won't exactly be useful unless there's a wide area. Second, it's very easy to get lost. And third-"

Sonic cut him off. "Ok we get it. Still can't be more dangerous than facing Eggman's new cronies."

After a short walk, the group walked into the nearby village, which was considerably larger than those they flew over. However, as big as it was, there was not a soul in site.

Sonic dawned a questionable look on his face. "Geez, where is everyone? Out doing some ritual or something?"

Kor nodded. "It is rather quiet...think somethin' might have happened before we got here?"

"Wait. I see a few over there by that window." Amy noted, pointing towards a group of 4 mobian wolves and, surprisingly, two overlander children.

Two of the wolves were pink with brown hair wearing the same attire, likely to be twins, while the other, shorter mobians were a purple wolf and an orange wolf that bore a striking resemblance to the chiefs of the tribe. The two overlanders were female, who also looked remarkably similar. However, one had blonde hair whilst the other was a redhead.

"Hey, I know those guys!" Sonic said, running up to them.

The group turned around in surprise upon hearing footsteps, but relaxed upon seeing the famous hero. "Sonic!" They said.

"Hello everyone. How's it hangin'?"

"Sonic, you know it's rude to sneak up on people." Amy reminded.

"Well, I _do_ have a reputation of being fast that I need to uphold."

"And to be honest, stealth isn't your thing. That's Espio's." Kor joked.

The others grew cautious upon seeing Kor, mainly after noting his cybetnetic parts. "Um, Sonic? Who is he?" The orange wolf asked, then whispered. "Was he part of the Dark Egg Legion?"

The fox grew annoyed. "I have working ears you know, and I wouldn't be caught dead working under that fat man..."

"Relax guys, he's cool. Hmm...come to think of it, I know most of you except," Sonic gestured to the two pink wolves. "You fine ladies." Amy formed a sour look on her face.

The two wolves chuckled. "I'm Leeta, and this is my sister Lyco."

"Nice to meet you. I'm guessin' you already know Amy and Tails, so the name's Kor. And my cybernetics were a serious of accidents..." He muttered the last part.

"Oh, sorry Mister. My name is Marcos, and these are my sisters Maria, Athena, and Aerial."

"So what are you doing down here Sonic?" Lyco asked.

"We're looking for Lupe. Any idea where she is?"

"Unfortunately we don't...Lupe went missing earlier, and no one knows where she is."

"Everyone in the tribe is worried, especially dad..." Maria stated, looking at the window. Inside, everyone could see an orange wolf talking to a few others.

"Huh. What's Lobo doing?" Sonic asked.

"Not sure. He rounded up the cheiftains so I guess they're discussing a plan. However, I don't like where it's going...he thinks the Felidae are why Lupe is gone." Leeta noted.

Sonic was in disbelief. "The Felidae? I doubt they would after the peace Sally came up with."

"Speaking of which, where is Sally?" Aerial asked.

Team Fighters grew a bit uneasy. "She...Eggman roboticized her..." Kor admitted. Saying that the wolves and two overlanders were shocked would be an understatement.

"Roboticized?! I thought it didn't work anymore!" Leeta exclaimed, remembering all the of wolves of their tribe that had been subject to the process years ago.

"It didn't, but Eggman managed to make it work. He turned Sally into his personal top fighting robot, and trust me, she is by no means easy to subdue..." The red fox stated.

"I bet Eggman is also the reason why Lupe is missing. He might've had Sally kidnap Lupe so the Wolf Pack and Felidae would fight each other rather than the Dark Egg Legion." Tails said in thought.

"That would be likely, given that the Legion hasn't made any gains since the two nations made peace, an uneasy one at that." Lyco added.

"Plus, the other chieftains have been _dying _for an excuse to go to war." Leeta chimed in.

"Well then, guess we'll need to act fast before Lobo is finished talking with the warmongers in there. It seems like they're still talking strategy so we got a bit of time before they decide anything." Kor stated.

"Good thing we know where Eggman went. Anyone know where the Temple of Shazamazon is?" The Blue Blur asked.

"We do. It's not that far from here." Lyco stated.

"Sweet! Alright Team Fighters, we got a plan, let's move!" Sonic cheered.

After leaving the village, Team Fighters along with Lyco and Leeta ventured through the jungle to the temple. Due to the thick shrubs and undergrowth, Sonic couldn't run as fast as he'd have liked, and Tails had to constantly dodge tree limbs. Once or twice along the way, Amy and Kor got stuck in quicksand but were rescued easily. Didn't help that with it being night, the forest was darker than it should've been.

After a bit of time dodging trees and any more sand pits, the group reached the Dark Legion base. However, when they got there, they were met with a surprising site. An elderly cat with white fur and wearing a black formal dress was being chased by a group of Dark Egg Legion personnel, and they were closing fast. One of the legionnaires was a former Felidae member known as Razorklaw. The large lynx was exiled from his homeland after losing a battle to Locke a few years prior, and since then he's joined forces with Eggman. Since his legionizing, his arms had been replaced with reinforced metal and extremely sharp claws.

"Isn't that Queen Hathor?" Leeta asked.

"Sure does, and looks like she picked up some baggage. Let's lighten the load for her." Sonic smirked.

"Give it up Hathor! You can't outrun us forever, and you will pay for the disgrace you've given me all those years ago!" Razorklaw yelled.

Suddenly, Sonic appeared before the group. "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to cut your fun short." He rammed the large cat in chest with his signature move, sending him into a tree.

The other soldiers quickly took aim, but were ambushed by the other members of Team Fighters. Tails used his namesakes to smack two of them into submission, Amy used her signature weapon to smash another two into the ground, and Kor shot the weapons out of the last two before clubbing them with his metal fist.

"Grr, Sonic! Always interfering with my plans!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

The lynx noted that he was heavily outnumbered. "Don't think you've won yet. This isn't over..." Razorklaw said in a venomous tone before retreating, leaving the other soldiers behind.

Hathor let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you Sonic...if you hadn't arrived, I would be sent back into that vile place."

Sonic bowed. "It was nothin' your highness."

However, Hathor rejects this. "I am not the Queen as now, but a humble emissary."

"Oh, right. Then I am but a humble ambassador." He smirked.

"Uh, what?" Kor asked, confused.

"She's only the queen when she wears the royal robes." The blue hedgehog whispered. "So Hathor, how did you escape Eggman's base?"

"Myself and Lupe were captured by Sally Acorn. We both knew that our respective tribes would set eye on each other for our sudden disappearances, so we wasted no time plotting an escape. Lupe volunteered to help me into a vent so I could make it outside, but I was forced to leave my robes behind." The former queen explained.

"So Lupe is still in there, and we don't have much time before yours and her tribes engage in a pointless war. So, let's get in there and-" Kor turned, but stopped when a spear was pointed inches from his face. "Uh..."

Suddenly, several Felidae warriors jumped out of the bushes, each with some sort of weapon pointed at the group. One of them stepped forward. "We've witnessed the Dark Egg Legion's intrusion on our territory and have witnessed your bravery in battle. But, how do we know that she," the warrior points at Hathor, "is the queen?"

"Must I remind you that the wolves and the Freedom Fighters are not our enemies? They risked their lives for mine, and I bear the queen's will to see that peace will be maintained in these lands!" Hathor retorted.

The warriors stood in thought for a few moments, deciding on what to do. They soon lowered their weapons. "Alright. If the Legion is plotting another attack, you have our support. However, it will be up to the wolves to listen."

"Well we don't have the time to just walk back and tell them what's going on. For all we know, Eggman could be doing something worse to Lupe." Sonic pointed out.

"Very true..." Hathor looked towards her warriors. "Go to the Wolf Pack and try to reason with them. We will need all the help we can get to usurp an impending evil..."

The warriors nod before setting off, with Team Fighters and co. heading straight for the Dark Legion base.

**-Temple of Shazamazon: Operating Room-**

Lupe was restrained to a table as Dark Legion echidnas were prepping for surgery. Eggman was overseeing the operation, as he couldn't resist watching one of the leaders of the Wolf Pack that had been long a thorn in his side becoming another one of his greatest pawns.

"You won't get away with this Eggman! Your roboticization attempts will never work!" Lupe shouted in rage.

"I'm well aware of the affects of the Bem's deroboticization, which is why I'm having you _legionized_." He grinned evilly. "Are you idiots quite done?! I'm on a tight schedule here!"

"Yes Dr. Eggman." One of the surgeons replied.

"Good! Now then, any last words before you become a member of the Eggman Empire?"

"I have nothing civil to say to you..." Lupe growled before spitting in his face.

The doctor wiped his face in disgust. "I'll be sure to change that tone..." He growled.

Just as the legionnaires were about to begin, an alarm sounded throughout the base. "Oh what is it now?!" Eggman yelled. The footage on a nearby screen made the tyrant's eyes go wide. Team Fighters along with Lyco, Leeta, and Hathor were fighting their way deeper into the base.

"Drat! Sonic and his meddlesome squad followed me here!" Pressing a button on his jacket, Eggman contacted the Death Egg. "Orbot! Is the Death Egg finished?!"

"Afraid not sir. We are still being restocked and refueled, and repairs haven't even started yet." The sphere robot responded.

Lupe couldn't help but chuckle. "And with Sonic here, your defeat is certain!"

"Oh shut up!" The doctor retorted. "Prepare the Death Egg for launch immediately! Drago! Watch over the prisoner!" He ordered as he stormed out of the room.

The white wolf chuckled. "Guess it's just you and me Lupe."

The chief growled lowly. "Drago..."

Elsewhere in the base, the team continued to fight through the Dark Legion soldiers. They manage to catch a short break after that last wave of enemies. "We can't waste any more time dealing with the Loser Brigade." Sonic stated.

"Right. We're gonna have to split up to cover more ground." Kor added in thought. "Ok everyone, we're gonna do something the guys and I did back home in Hydro: Tails, T-Pup, Hathor, and Leeta, you're on offense. Go find Lupe, and be quick before the Legion realizes what we're doing." The 4 nodded before taking off down the hall. "Everyone else, we're on defense. Create as much noise to keep the army busy and make the other group's task easier." He ordered.

"Sounds like my kind of plan." Sonic grinned, cracking his knuckles.

Not a moment too soon, another wave of soldiers reached the heroes. Sonic stretched his legs, Amy readied her hammer once more, Kor flipped his gun before taking aim, and Lyco got into a combat position. With the other group, they reached a fork in the hallway.

"Which way was Lupe being held?" Leeta asked.

"It is this way!" Hathor pointed down the hallway on the left.

"Alright. You guys go on ahead. There's something I need to do first. Come on T-Pup!" Tails stated, taking flight down the opposite hallway. "I'll meet you guys on the roof!"

Leeta and Hathor looked at each other before continuing on with their goal. As they reached the prison cells, they noted it was empty.

"Darn. They must've moved her earlier...do you remember what the doctor was going to do with you and Lupe?"

"He mentioned the roboticization process, but I did not believe as we are to be immune to it." Hathor replied.

"To roboticization maybe, but not...we gotta move fast!" Leeta shouted, taking off into a full sprint down the hall, Hathor following.

As they ran, they could see parts of the base was still undergoing construction, this being due to the constant attacks from both the Wolf Pack and Felidae. Within minutes, they managed to find the operating room, though the door was closed. The door contained a single small window for the two to peer through. They growled as they found Drago taunting a still restrained Lupe. However, what made Hathor angry was the fact the Grandmaster was wearing her robes.

"You shouldn't have kicked me out of the Wolf Pack Lupe. I had excellent leadership potential, and you just threw it all away. Luckily, Eggman was wise enough to see that I can run things around here."

"Even after all these years, your ego still hasn't changed. Need I remind you that Eggman takes pleasure in taking advantage of his own forces? And you run the place with _Razorklaw_ of all people!" Lupe retorted. "What do you think will happen when after I'm legionized?"

"I expect you'll be appointed as my kommissar." Drago chuckled.

"Actually, he'd seem more likely to appoint me as Grandmaster in order to make me destroy my own tribe...and the least you could expect is being demoted."

Drago laughed. "Yeah right. Like he'd really d-do that. The boss values me ALOT more than that idiot Razorklaw." He shook a bit just thinking of Lupe taking his position upon being brainwashed. Lupe smirked knowing she hit a nerve.

"And further more-!" Drago was cut off as he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head before everything went black.

Leeta stood over the legionized wolf, holding a steel pipe. "That's for kidnapping the chief!"

"Nicely done." Hathor commented.

The pink wolf ran up to Lupe and started removing the chains. "Are you ok Lupe?"

"Aside from wishing I didn't have to see Eggman and that idiot Drago, I'm ok."

Hathor walks over to Drago, who is still unconscious, and removes her robes from him before kicking him away. Leeta smiles. "Looks like the queen has been restored."

The former queen shakes her head. "No...it is not time yet." She folds up her robes before joining the wolves in their escape.

With the other group, the fight has been taken out into the grounds in front of the temple. While the others are keeping the Legion in check, Sonic was doing battle with Razorklaw. The lynx was still angered about the hedgehog's interference earlier. Unfortunately for him, even with the help of other legionnaries, the hedgehog still proved too much for him.

"Sorry Razor, but fighting lynxes has become an occupational hazard." Sonic smirked.

"Sonic!" The hedgehog looked and saw standing at the entrance of the base, adorning her traditional robes.

He sped up within a second. "Yes your highness?" He bowed.

"Please take me into the jungle. It's time to put an end to this..."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." He picked up the queen before speeding through the thick forest.

**-On the Death Egg-**

Mecha Sally held her typical cold, steel look as she made her way to the bridge. She couldn't believe Tails actually got the best of her. She originally thought his feelings for her organic side would prevent him from fighting back, but he proved her wrong. To make matters worse, Leeta, Lupe, and Hathor appeared and made things even more complicated. Luckily, the Death Egg was about to take off, forcing the heroes to abandon their pursuit in order to get a safe distance away.

"Master." She stated, surprising the doctor.

"Mecha Sally? Why are you here so early? Oh nevermind! Curse those two dolts for grandmasters! I've only had enough time to prepare for another invasion of New Mobotropolis with the time we had to resupply, and with Sonic in pursuit there's no way I'll be able to deal with both threats at once!"

Mecha Sally looked at her master. "Do you propose we divide and conquer?"

"That would be the wisest course of action. I need to do make a few more preparations anyway, but are you ready to visit your dear brother?" The doctor grinned.

"Affirmative..."

**-Minutes Later: On the Ground-**

Despite the Death Egg departing, the Dark Legion continued to put up a decent fight. While Sonic left with Queen Hathor, the other heroes were escorting Lupe through the jungle from their pursuing enemies. Luckily, reinforcements came in the form of the Wolf Pack and the Felidae, which forced the Dark Legion to retreat. They've had enough. Soon after, Queen Hathor returned to her nation and Lupe was reunited with her family.

"Are you sure you guys can't stay?" Lupe asked.

Sonic politely declined. "Sorry Lupe, but we've got an Egg to crack. We should get going before we lose sight of him."

"Actually, I planted a tracking device on the Death Egg. That way, we'll know wherever Eggman goes." Tails told them.

"Woah. Way to go Tails!" The blue blur cheered.

Lupe smiled. "Well then, we wish you luck in your travels."

"Thank you so much for rescuing our mother!" Aerial cheered.

"Yes! Thank you!" Maria smiled.

Sonic rubbed his nose. "Heh heh, just another day being the heroes of Mobius."

"Alright Team Fighters, let's go. Tails, you got a fix on the Death Egg?" Kor asked.

"Yeah. It's heading back to Northamer."

Lupe turned to Leeta and Lyco, both of whom were standing nervously. "Now are you sure you want to do this?"

"Well, after what we went through tonight, we both felt it would be better if we went out to help others." Lyco said.

"That doesn't mean we're not loyal to the Wolf Pack anymore, we just wish to do more for the Freedom Fighters. I mean, they risked a lot to come and help us and..." Leeta added.

Lupe smiled. "After witnessing the bravery you two had, I think you both are more than ready to go out and do your part. In fact, someone contacted me recently that they were looking for those who were willing to help out."

"Really? Who?" They asked in unison.

"I can't say everything but, how would you two like to take part in a _secret_ mission?"

**A/N: And that takes care of that. Finally got one off the presses, and to be honest, I didn't like writing this particular chapter as much as I would've thought. But regardless, it's updated. The next one will be pretty awesome however, as Eggman has plans to deal with Elias...**


End file.
